Fire and Blood
by human28
Summary: BTVSDark Angel crossover. Max and Alec run into two certain Slayers the night when Manticore met its destruction. Spike is captured by White and is sent to find Max. Buffy and Max unite against the Breeding Cult. MA. BS.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. 

Spoilers: Post "Chosen", and my own version of Dark Angel.

_Pairings:_ M/A, B/S

_Summary:_ BTVS/Dark Angel crossover. Max and Alec run into two certain Slayers the night when Manticore met its destruction. Spike is captured by White and is sent to find Max. Buffy and Max unite against the Breeding Cult. And other freaky stuff happens! M/A. B/S.

_A/N: _This is AU. Max didn't escape back in '09, but 453 did. This is the Dark Angel timeline. So don't ask me how Buffy and her crew ended up in the future. AU, remember?!?!

**_Fire and Blood _**

_By: human28 _

_Prologue _

_Gilette, Wyoming _

_2020_

A deafening explosion broke the silence. Above them, the blackness that was the night sky was illuminated momentarily in shades of gold and scarlet, almost appearing as if it was ignited. The scattered sounds of gunfire and frightened voices filled the air, and the reverberation of thundering footsteps echoed through their environs.

A solitary car sped through the empty road, and the passengers were more than a bit nervous. Two pairs of eyes peered out of their windows, looking anxiously for what might have been the sounds of fear and chaos…hoping that what they had heard was a mere figment of their imagination.

As they drew nearer, the sounds increased their volume, and they then knew that what they had heard was reality. The smell of smoke, blood, and burnt flesh reached their senses, and their skin prickled with unease. Another earsplitting detonation shook the grounds and the two women exchanged a troubled glance.

Something was very wrong here.

…

"Max!" Alec's voice called out from her from behind. She spun around and saw him waving wildly at her from the perimeter fences. Behind them hundreds of transgenics, X-series and freaks, were running towards the borders. The dozens of barracks and facilities had burst into angry flames. The prison that used to be their home was disintegrating right before their eyes.

She snapped back to reality and blurred towards her one and only friend in Manticore – X5-494. He was the one that kept her through all the pain and suffering that had tortured her – tortured her back there. He was the one that had helped her torch the hellhole called Manticore. She reached him in record time, and the two X5s simultaneously cleared the 12-foot high fence easily. They landed onto the other side soundlessly.

And that was it.

They had escaped hell.

She glanced at Alec and their eyes met. Liberation was theirs.

"Let's get out of here," she said. He nodded and they darted into the forest. Running footsteps and shouts of trepidation and fear echoed around them. Chaos surrounded them. The smell of fear and blood was fresh in the air. The two transgenics kept themselves close to each other, and it wasn't long until they emerged from the pandemonium.

They stepped onto the middle of the highway, which was bare of any vehicles except one. A lone car was speeding through the road – going straight towards them. "Don't move," she hissed at Alec who started to blur to the left. He stared at her as if she were insane. "It's going to stop."

And it did stop. A mere inch from their genetically enhanced bodies.

The driver – some blonde chick was goggling at them. The brunette beside her was doing the same thing. Max didn't wait for an invitation. She threw open the door and entered the car with Alec close behind her.

"What – who…?" The blonde spluttered.

The sound of gunshots pierced the night. That was all the blonde needed. She slammed onto the accelerator and the car surged to life. And they sped off, leaving their past behind in the dust.

But both transgenics knew that it wouldn't be long until their past came back to haunt them.

…

_To be continued… _

…

A/N: Aren't I evil??? Don't worry, I already wrote the next chapter. But if I don't get any reviews… threatening voice I won't be updating!!! Hah!

**Sneak Peak: **

_Max didn't reply. Instead, she pulled out a bottle of holy water, a cross, and three more stakes._


	2. Chapter One

_A/N: Sorry for the whole not accepting anonymous reviewers thing....it was an accident...anyway...it's all fixed now!!! Feel free to review!!! And a special thanks to luvspike/alec for informing me of that teeny weeny mistake. _

_**Fire and Blood **_

_By: human28 _

_Chapter One _

_Seattle, Washington _

_2020_

The car jolted to a stop in front of a five story building that was blanketed with graffiti. Night had long since fallen, and the streets were filled with drunkards, drug addicts, criminals, and all sorts of treacherous people. But what they did not know that the most dangerous of them all were seated inside the gray, tarnished car.

"We're here," Buffy announced, taking in a shaky breath. Although she hated to admit it, being the eldest living Slayer and all, she was nervous. Way nervous. And from the look on Faith's face, she was pretty much feeling the same way. You couldn't blame them for being nervous.

They had just come from Gilette, to drop off a couple of potentials-turned-slayers when they were stopped in the middle of the road by two teenagers who demanded that they take them to Seattle. The ride had been spent in uncomfortable silence. When Faith had asked them who they were, a brief 'we're soldiers' was all they received. One look from the girl was enough to shut Faith up.

Somehow, both Slayers had gotten a feeling that they were hiding something. Something that involved danger. The sounds that they heard earlier that night had sort of confirmed that thought. And Buffy was not too keen on finding out what kind 'danger' these strangers were running away from.

"This is where you live?" the guy asked, raising an eyebrow. If the situation wasn't so nerve-wracking, Buffy might've actually thought of him as cute. Scratch that. Completely gorgeous. In fact, the two of them looked like they had stepped right out of the pages of a fashion magazine. One might find it unbelievable that these two might actually be soldiers. But the look in their eyes, their stance…there was some sort of perverted discipline about them. And it brought chills running down her spine.

"Yeah," Faith answered hesitantly. The two slayers exchanged a glance. Two years had passed since their battle with the First Evil…since Sunnydale had sunk and transformed into a giant, empty pit…since their home crumbled right in front of their very eyes. The months that preceded that had been rather difficult for them. With more than a hundred Potentials now Awakened, they needed to find new space, fast.

Angel had been a great help for that. He had lent them the Hyperion Hotel for a couple of weeks. After that, everything was history. They had been separated. A group of Slayers and Watchers were assigned on different countries that played host to a Hellmouth. Buffy and Faith had been designated in Seattle, which had been their home for almost a year now.

"Thanks for the ride, but sad to say, we gotta blaze." The girl flashed them a brief smile. It was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. They exited the car and it wasn't long until they disappeared into the shadows.

Leaving the two Slayers with nothing but a mystery.

…

"So where do we go now?" Alec asked as they ducked inside a phone booth to avoid a passing hoverdrone. They had been wandering around the city for exactly seventeen minutes, trying to come up with a plan. Knowing Manticore, they were not going to stop looking for them, which meant that they had to lay low for a while.

"We get a place to stay, some food to eat, and some cash." Max replied absently smoothing down the wrinkles on her shirt. She looked tired, hell, she looked exhausted. And for a person with Shark DNA, that meant she was feeling pretty dead on her feet. Exactly the same way he was feeling.

"I've got cash." Alec said with a smirk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of crumpled dollars. Let's just say that he was quite the businessman when it came to the guards back at Manticore.

"Good," Max said grabbing them from his hand. She started to count them at breakneck speed. Alec could practically see the numbers being calculated in her head. "One thousand, three hundred, ninety-five." She nodded, impressed. "Not bad. This'll keep us alive for the next couple of days."

They passed by a dim-lit building that was overcrowded with people. Two black bouncers stood on guard up front. Loud music emanated from within. _A nightclub. _He thought, catching the smell of alcohol. Expensive cars lined the sidewalks and probably more behind the building. He glanced at Max and saw her eyes light up with mischief. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked in a low tone.

He grinned rakishly as he let his gaze roam over her body. She hit him disgustedly on the arm. "You are such a _pig. _I really should've named you dick."

"Kidding Maxie, I was kidding." She rolled her eyes and led the way into the parking area. After scanning the area for any sign of guards or surveillance cameras, they inspected the cars with appreciation. There were Porsches, Jaguars, and Ferraris. And all they had to do was take their pick.

"I want this one," Max said coming to a stop in front of a sleek, black Mercedes. The windows were tinted, and their was no license plate, signaling the fact that it was brand new.

"Sweet choice," he said. "But unfortunately, that would bring us too much attention. We're trying to go incognito here Maxie, meaning, we gotta blend in with the common crowd." Max scowled, but both knew that he was right. He gestured towards his left where a rusted, red Mustang stood. He started picking the lock and less than two minutes later, they were speeding down the road in companionable silence.

An hour and a half later, brought them parked in front of a motel with the blinking neon sign: 'No-Tel Motel'. Alec started to climb out of the car when Max's hand stopped him. "I can't go in there looking like this." She gestured at her soot stained cammies, and shot him a look. "Unlike you, I'm not dressed for any dirty missions."

"Not to worry." He reached behind the seat and pulled out a navy blue duffel bag. "I snatched it from the two chicks that gave us a ride. I had a feeling that you were gonna need it." She took it from him gratefully and zipped open the bag. She took out a pair of jeans, a black tank top, a matching black leather jacket, and a pair of heeled boots. She wrinkled her nose at the latter but pulled them on anyway. Alec had to keep himself from gawking at the sight of Max's bare skin as she changed.

Paradise was over five minutes later, and he was rewarded by a – confused gaze from Max. He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" she was staring into the duffel bag and he wondered what was inside that could make her look so perplexed. Max was rarely confused.

And with a slight shake of her head, she pulled out a very sharp-looking stake.

"What's a twig doing in there?" he asked, bewildered.

Max didn't reply. Instead, she pulled out a bottle of holy water, a cross, and three more stakes.

"Alright, so the women we hitched a ride from were freaks. So what?" Alec shrugged. "That's the least of our problems right now."

She sighed. "You're right." A troubled look fleeted across her face. "But something tells me that there was something more to those girls than they appeared to be."

…

"Buffy, have you seen my duffel?" Faith walked into the living room where she was lounging with her sister, Giles and Willow. It was still early in the morning, and most of the Slayers were still asleep. Except them of course.

"No. Maybe it's still in the car." Buffy replied.

Faith shook her head. "I double-checked. It wasn't there." She paused as a thoughtful expression took over her features. "You don't think that those two teens took them, don't you?"

"You've been robbed by teenagers?" Dawn snickered. Willow and Giles looked curious as well. The two Slayers exchanged a glance. When they arrived last night, everyone had been asleep, giving them no time to tell their friends about their unexpected and rather, bizarre encounter with the two strangers who had sent more than enough chills running down their spines. Not to mention the place where they had come from.

"Um, you tell them B." Faith suggested settling herself onto the empty spot on the sofa. All eyes turned to Buffy. She sighed and started her story.

"Faith and I were on our way home when these two kids – teenagers stopped us in the middle of the road. And believe it or not, they were dressed in those military-costumes. Camouflage-stuff." Buffy shook her head as she recalled last night. "Explosions and gunshots kept on going off from – wherever they came from. And they jumped into our car, and ordered us to drive. I know it sounds impossible, but they made me totally nervous." Buffy grimaced.

Their audience was speechless. And it was Giles who first broke the gaping contest. "And your saying that they were teenagers? Around what age?"

"Nineteen, twenty." Buffy shrugged. "Couldn't really tell. And I have to say that they were really gorgeous. They could've passed for supermodels or something. Which just adds to the whole freaky-thing."

"From everything that I have stumbled upon in my life, I don't think that I have ever heard of anything like this." Giles wiped his eyeglasses with the hem of his sweater. It was a habit of his. A habit that usually portrayed his apprehension on whatever topic they were discussing.

"That is totally whack," Dawn agreed.

"So where'd they go?" Willow asked, fumbling for her laptop. She had this 'I-may-have-an-idea' look on her face.

"We have absolutely no idea," Faith responded. "All I know is that they're somewhere here in Seattle."

"Who're you calling, Wills?" Buffy asked, eyeing her best friend as she flipped open her mobile phone.

"A hacker-friend of mine," Willow said, dialing. "He loves researching on this kind of stuff. And the last time I met him, he was rambling on and on about some secret-government facility in Wyoming." The two Slayers stared at her. "I have a feeling that this might be it."

"What's his name?" Dawn asked.

"Logan Cale."

…

_To be continued… _

…

_A/N: What do you think? Review and tell me…_

**Sneak Peak: **

_"I don't know about you guys, but it's important for me that I find her. You see, 452 has no junk DNA."_


	3. Chapter Two

_**A/N: I'm SO sorry for the lack of updates...writer's block and all that. But anyway, here's the next chapter! Don't forget to review! ;-)**_

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

Chapter Two 

"Hey Maxie," Alec said, tearing his eyes off the television screen where a hip-hop music video was playing. He muted the volume and waited for his companion to grant him her full attention. Max spun around from the window where she had zoned out for almost fifteen minutes.

"What?"

"I'm thinking of pulling a heist," he suggested.

She raised an eyebrow. "A heist? We barely got here, Alec. Where would you pull a heist?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But what I do know is that there are a ton of rich, old guys around here who probably doesn't know what to do with their money anymore."

She barely had time to reply because a sudden scream interrupted their little conversation. Max blurred over to her spot near the window which had vacated less than five seconds ago. Alec was right behind her. "Great." She drawled, the sarcasm dripping of her voice like syrup. Three X6s had obviously robbed the nearby store, as they were carrying bags of potato chips. A woman – a hooker, no doubt screamed her lungs out while a maniac – the store-owner, no doubt was shooting at the kids with a shotgun. He missed more than once. And before he could reload, the X6s had vanished from his sight.

"Talk about laying low," Alec muttered crossly under his breath. He grabbed his leather jacket and slipped it on. Guess it was time to reunite with their 'family'.

…

"I can't believe this," Buffy murmured sinking onto a comfortable leather armchair. She held her head in her hands as she processed over everything that Logan had said. It was a little after ten, and they were at Foggle Towers, an extremely posh penthouse owned by none other than Logan Cale – Willow's hacker friend. Willow sat beside the cyber-journalist as he typed away on his computer. Faith watched silently from her spot on the couch.

"Genetically enhanced supersoldiers?" Faith shook her head. "I've seen worse things in my life. But never this. This is like, beyond freaky. I mean, a secret-government facility that tortures kids and sends them on missions? It's sounds a little bit too sci-fi for me."

"Unfortunately, all that is true." Logan said. "And because of Eyes Only, Manticore has finally been exposed to the public. The only downside in that was the fact that Manticore tried to terminate the transgenics. If it wasn't for X5-452, they'd all be dead. It was her who set them all free, after all."

"X5-452?" Willow echoed. "Whose she?"

Logan hit several keys and a new window materialized on the glowing screen of the computer. This was one portrayed a single photo. A photo of a girl with long dark hair and caramel colored skin. She appeared to be looking up at a surveillance camera. Behind her, countless numbers of transgenics were running for their life.

"_That's her?_" Faith practically shrieked. "She's X5-452? No way! She and her guy friend were the ones who jumped into our car last night. Talk about an utter coincidence."

Logan spun around so fast that the wheels of his chair created skid marks on the floor. "How come you didn't tell me this? Where did they go? Was she alone…?"

"Whoawhoawhoa!" Faith gestured with her hands. "One question at a time Cale." She rolled her eyes at Buffy. "First off, we didn't tell you this because we had no friggin' idea that this girl was 452. Second, we dropped them off right in front of our building and they disappeared a few seconds later. And no, she was not alone. She was with some guy…a transgenic, no doubt."

Logan sighed exasperatedly and faced his computer once again. "I don't know about you guys, but it's important for me that I find her. You see, 452 has no junk DNA."

"What?" Buffy blurted out.

"It means that every single DNA within her was created for a specific genetic purpose." Logan informed them.

"What kind of purpose?" Willow asked curiously.

"I don't know. That's why I'm so keen on finding her. She could be my key to finding the truth about Manticore."

…

"Daddy's home."

The deep masculine voice was laced with sarcasm, but the authority within it blanketed everything else. X7-787 snapped his fingers at his newfound 'friends' as much as he dared call them that and they all immediately stood at attention. Two X5s stepped into the abandoned farmhouse. They were both dressed in black leather jackets, and they were both wearing similar pissed-off expressions.

"What did you think you were doing?" The female X5 barked. "Stealing from ordinaries? You compromised not only your own cover, but ours as well."

"We apologize, ma'am. We we're hungry ma'am!" He replied, trying to still his trembling voice. As far as Manticore had told their series, their 'new and improved' series, the X5s were nothing but independent, stubborn, disobedient soldiers. Thus, making them incredibly dangerous. 787 took a wary step backward.

The male X5, who was making a face at the X7 that was keeping watch by the broken window turned to face them. "What's _that _doing here?" he gestured towards the X7.

"He escaped the attack with us, sir." 701 replied.

The X5 shook his head in disdain. "Gang, I hate to break it to you, but Manticore was not attacked. They tried to barbecue us."

The X6s who were unfamiliar with 'street slang' and had no lessons in Common Verbal Usage wore equally confused expressions. "Sir?" 787 asked, puzzled.

He sighed. "They're trying to kill us. The signal's bogus. It's a trap."

787 frowned. "If I may, sir...That doesn't make any sense. We're valuable military assets, representing billions of dollars in R&D."

"Why would Manticore try to get rid of us?" 701 asked, bewilderedly.

"I want to get rid of you and I just met you." The X5 muttered crossly under his breath. The female nudged him with her shoulder, shooting him a nasty look.

"Shut up Alec!" she hissed.

"I'm afraid that's not part of my DNA cocktail Max!" he snapped back.

"We should be going, sir, ma'am." 787 said, hoping that he would not be disrespecting the two transgenics by this quick interruption. "They're waiting."

'Alec' rolled his eyes. "What part of 'they're trying to kill you' do you not understand?"

"With all due respect, sir, but officers of rank superior to yours left standing orders to regroup when instructed to do so." 787 stated firmly. He was getting a bit annoyed with this 'Alec', he was a bit too cocky for his liking.

Alec smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "Well, far be it from me to violate the chain of command."

787 swiveled around to face his team. "Fall in."

Max shook her head in disbelief. "You're really gonna do this?"

He ignored her, and turned to the X7 who didn't seem to be listening to their conversation at all. "Didn't you hear me soldier?"

"He heard you," Alec drawled. "He just can't believe his ears."

"I'm going to have to report you," 787 said to the X7 _and _the two X5s. Imagine, taking charge of a higher X series. This was definitely history. He thought to himself, proudly. "I'm going to have to report you. The _three _of you."

"You do that," Alec yawned and waved them off.

787 shook his head before gesturing for his team to follow him. X5s were _so _strange at times.

…

"Come on, Alec." Max tugged at his sleeve just as the X6s disappeared out of the farmhouse. "We have to follow them. We have to make sure that they won't get hurt."

Alec stared at her as if she were nuts. "Are you kidding me Max? We're gonna get shot there…or worse, captured. And besides, they wouldn't listen to us so it's pretty much their loss."

Max ignored his protests and dragged him out of the barn.

_Several minutes later…_

"Fuck, that has to hurt." Alec shook his head in amazement at the bloody wound on 787's leg. He was howling in pain, and no words of comfort could calm him down. Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead intermingling with his tears. Max ignored Alec's comment and pulled out a pocketknife.

"We need to cauterize it," she said. Alec tossed her a lighter and she started to heat the blade. Even the wounded X6 fell silent as everyone watched the flame dance up and down the metal. "On the count of three," Max told her patient.

787 shut his eyes.

"One, two," Max didn't wait for three, she swiftly cauterized the wound while the X6 wailed in agony. The blonde female X6 had retreated to the hay stacks where she hurled all the contents of her stomach. A few seconds later, it was all over. "There, all done." Max said with a satisfied grin.

787 nodded his thanks.

"Hey!" Max shouted out to the other X6s, and X8. "Fall in."

They did as told. Alec watched from a corner as Max paced in front of their 'descendants', if you could call them that. There was look of determination on her face – one that could not be swayed. "There's been a change in your mission status-extreme and unforeseen. You've been betrayed by your own command. What do you do?"

"Redeploy!" they responded.

"Correct. How?"

"Unknown, ma'am. We have no training with regard to that circumstance." The dark-haired X6 replied.

"Do you know what that means?" Max asked.

"No ma'am!"

"All your training goes out the window."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Starting with your blind obedience to Manticore and all it represents." Max was scowling now. Her hatred for Manticore evident in her eyes.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Which means you're going to stop calling me ma'am and start calling me Max."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Yes _Max_,_" _Max corrected. "That's my name. And now that you're in the real world, you all should have names, too. You have to stop thinking of yourselves as soldiers and start thinking of yourselves as people…"

Alec sighed. This was gonna be a _long _day.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: Review….review…review…do I have to say it again? Okay…REVIEW!

**Sneak Peak:**

_Spike smirked. "Let's just say that I'm an expert when it comes to hunting down people."_


	4. Chapter Three

_A/N: A big THANKS to everyone who reviewed! _

**_Fire and Blood_**

_By: human28_

_Chapter Three _

The club was echoing with the sounds of raucous laughter and yells of criticisms. The smell of alcohol, smoke, sweat, and blood was fresh in the air. It was enough to drown a normal human being's system with its toxicity. The vampire barely noticed the unsanitary atmosphere, as he cut through the crowd. A number of obscenities followed his crossing.

Relief passed over his features as he finally made it towards the back room. A small, make-shift office was located there. It consisted of nothing more than a metal desk, several stools and a rusty refrigerator. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged woman with bleached blonde hair and ice-blue eyes. She regarded him with unabashed scrutiny.

But it wasn't the kind of look that he usually received from the female population. It was as if she was gauging his ability to fight. Spike hid his smirk.

"Name's Annie. What can I do for you, boy?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"I need cash." He replied, cracking his knuckles. "Cold hard cash."

"Then you fight." Annie stood up and gestured for him to follow her. He found himself, once again, submerged in the dirty ambiance that flooded all throughout the fight club.

"What'll be your name?" the woman asked arching a sharply-manicured eyebrow.

He smirked. "William the Bloody."

A bell clanged, signaling the end of the last fight. He quickly shed his leather duster and shirt, tossing it at a nearby table before psyching himself up. He cracked his neck, and rubbed his hands together. _5,000 bucks, here I come. _

"Let's see what you've got boy." Annie pulled open the cage door and motioned for him to enter. He obliged without question, as she grabbed a microphone from her co-worker. "Our champion, undefeated with twenty-one wins, and _no _losses. Please welcome, Freddy Fists!"

The crowd that surrounded the steel cage burst into thunderous applause as a man with graying hair entered the ring. Cuts and bruises blanketed his body, but the man showed no indication of pain.

"And now! Our challenger. Standing at six foot tall, and a lean weight of a hundred and seventy-five pounds. Put your hands together for William the Bloody!"

Boos and shouts of condemnation erupted from their audience. Spike merely smirked. The referee blew his whistle and the fight began.

…

The fight ended in less than four minutes, granting Spike the title of champion, and five thousand dollars. He collected the money from Annie and made his way to the men's locker room where he cleaned himself up. He stared at himself on the grimy mirror, watching the droplets of cold water trickle down his face. There was a haunted expression on his face.

And he knew what had caused it.

He, one of the undead, had died. And that was to save the world. But apparently, the Powers that Be figured he'd be of more use here in the human world than in heaven…or hell, for that matter. He couldn't really remember his life up there, or down there. All he remembered was the passivity that had surrounded him. It was a haven that isolated him from all the chaos. A haven where he had been at peace.

_So this is how it feels like. _He thought with a bitter grin. _To be pulled out of sanctuary. _This was how Buffy had felt like. When Willow brought her back. Robbed of peace.

The thought of the Slayer, the woman whom he loved, the woman who had broken his heart for countless times…It burned him. It burned him to think that she could never love him in the way he loved her. And that was probably the main reason on why he spent two years wandering the globe…trying to stay away from her.

But he _couldn't. _

He loved her too damned much. And she deserved to know that he was alive, or rather, among the living once again. And that was why he was here, in Seattle. In fact, he had been here for several weeks now. He had watched her from afar, watched her fight from behind the shadows.

"Why you leaving so soon, boy?" a hoarse voice shook him out of his reverie. He spun around, hastily wiping his face on the sleeve of his shirt. It was Annie. "The crowd loves you out there. I'm predicting that my business will go up with you hanging around here."

Spike flashed her one of his most charming smiles. "Sorry Annie. But as much as I love kicking arse, I have bigger plans for my life. And this," he held up the wad of cash and grinned. "Is going to help me get started."

"Alright, boy." Annie nodded and gripped his shoulder for a few seconds. "If you ever change your mind. You know where to reach me." She went out the door, not bothering to wait for a reply. As he gazed at his haunted reflection, he made a silent promise to finally show himself to her, no matter how much it hurt. He turned around and prepared to leave.

He was more than a bit surprised to see two men dressed in crisp black business suits standing there, watching him warily.

"What do you blokes want?"

And his whole world went black.

…

When he woke up, he found himself locked inside a steel cage that hung suspended at about two stories high in the air. He appeared to be in some kind of abandoned warehouse. Spike flexed his muscles and pain shot throughout his body. _Bloody hell, they electrocuted me. _He thought with a grimace as he stood up. The men who had captured him were standing right below him, discussing in low tones.

"Hey! What the bloody hell is going on here?" Spike shouted out to them. He didn't even have time to blink, the next thing he knew, a door at the bottom of the cage opened, and he landed gracefully on his feet. The men circled around him, guns cocked and pointed at their prisoner. This made him smile inside, it was so pleasing to see the caution etched on each of their faces…to know how much they feared him.

A man stepped out from the shadows. He was in his mid-thirties, or perhaps, older. The look in his eyes told him that this man had seen numerous tragedies in his life. And judging by the designer suit he was wearing, along with the ugly expression on his face. This man was the leader.

"Who're you?" Spike asked, eyes narrowed.

"The name's White, and that's all you need to know." His steel gray eyes hardened imperceptibly. "And _you _are obviously not one of the transgenic freaks." He spat out the last part with disgust, as if he had eaten something rotten.

_What the hell is a transgenic? _Spike thought. He had never heard of the term before, but it was evident that they thought he was one. Thus, the whole incarceration thing. And it made him wonder what a transgenic was…to be mistaken for a creature like him.

"Which leads me to this question…are you another product of Manticore? Another one of the monsters that they created before the alleged transgenics?"

"I'm a vampire." Spike said, spitting out the truth with a slight frown. White imitated his expression, and his steel-gray eyes flashed sadistically. It was apparent that he didn't believe him. "You don't believe me?" Spike asked. "Check for a heartbeat, I don't have one, and I don't breathe. Plus, I feed on humans like you."

White didn't even flinch, instead, his already stoic face hardened further. "Oh I believe you, just don't expect me to run to mommy, screaming my head off. I've seen enough repulsive things in my life. And I suppose that you are another one I have to add in my list." Spike growled. "Kill him. He is of no use to me." White drawled with a dismissive wave.

That was when Spike realized that he was in a very ominous situation. "Wait!" This made White pause. "It's obvious that you're looking for these so-called transgenics. I can help you."

"Is that a fact?" White cocked an eyebrow.

Spike smirked. "Let's just say that I'm an expert when it comes to hunting down people."

"Hmm, good enough for me." He pulled out two photographs from his pocket. White tossed them to Spike along with a shock wand. The vampire caught them easily. He glanced at the photos. It was a picture of a guy and a girl. They were still young, around nineteen or twenty maybe.

"What's this?" Spike asked, gesturing at the photos.

"Those are X5-452, and X5-494." White informed him with a sardonic grin. "You are to bring them here, alive."

Capture two teenagers? Piece of cake. Spike thought, lazily twirling the shock wand in between his fingers. 

White motioned at the man on his right. Spike was then roughly grabbed by the shoulders and a stab of pain shot through his neck. "What the bloody hell was that?" he yelped.

"Just a little something to make sure that you don't run off on me, as you were undoubtedly planning to do." White held up a tiny marble-like object. "Micro explosive." He dropped it onto the ground and planted a foot on it. It popped loudly. "Not much punch to it, really, but enough, considering it's lodged against your brain stem. If it goes off, you will never know what hit you."

Spike's eyes widened.

"Locate and incarcerate 452 and 494, and I'll disarm it."

"How long do I have?" The vampire asked.

"The explosive is timed to detonate in exactly twenty-four hours." White replied with a cynical smile.

Spike laughed in disbelief. "_A day?_"

"You come through, and I'll deactivate it. If you don't…" White made a popping noise. "You're head explodes." He grinned mockingly, and flung Spike a digital watch. "Tick, tick, vampire. Time's a wasting."

Spike shot him a nasty look before exiting the warehouse in a billow of black.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: I know, I know, vampires don't have reflections, but I just got carried away with the story, so forgive me for that the teeny-weeny mistake. Review!

**Sneak Peak:**

_"Oh no, Joshua!" She snatched the New World Weekly magazine from Alec's hand and gave the cover a good look. Yup, it was definitely their doggy-friend._


	5. Chapter Four

_A/N: First off, thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed the last chapter: **Darklight, lakergirl08, RavynJensen, Mari...**_

_**Loralee X5-214**_

_Thanks for that little bit of info about the whole vamps-not-having-brains thingy...but since I already started off with the story...I'm gonna have trouble changing things, so you'll just have to keep your imagination running... :-) And about Angel...I'll try putting him in the story, but I'm more of a Spike/Buffy fan, so just keep an eye out for Angel coz' he might just pop up to help the gang...:-)_

_**Jessika:**_

_I guess you didn't read the A/N at the end of the chap...I got carried away with the story and stuff...forgot that Spike didn't have a reflection! hehehe...:-)_

_AND ON WITH THE FIC! DON'T FORGET TO **REVIEW!**_

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

Chapter Four 

Night fell almost unexpectedly, and as the darkness covered everything in blackness, the two X5s surveyed their surroundings with feline vision. Meaning, they could see in the dark. They watched as their fellow transgenics (X6s, X8, and believe it or not, the X7) rode off into the distance with strict orders from Max to 'lay low'. They had taken the command to heart, and made plans to relocate to Canada.

"I can't believe we didn't just go with them," Max murmured beside him.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "I've just tasted freedom, Max. Call me selfish, but I don't want to waste it looking after a bunch of children. They may be transgenics, but hey, still children."

"I hate to say this, but you're right." Max sighed and looked around. "We have absolutely no place to stay, you know that? It's not like we can go back to the motel we slept in last night. The cops may be poking around there ever since the stunt our little X6s pulled the other day."

"What'd I say? Children," Alec tutted disapprovingly before heading towards a nearby gasoline station. They went inside the small shop and went through the food section. And yes, they actually paid for it. As Alec diligently ignored the flirtatious smiles he was receiving from the chubby blonde behind the counter, he thumbed through the magazine rack. And that was when all blood drained from his face.

"Hey Alec, are you alright?" Max asked from beside him. Her eyes followed his gaze and that was when all blood drained from her face. "Oh no, _Joshua._" She snatched the _New World Weekly _magazine from Alec's hand and gave the cover a good look. Yup, it was definitely their doggy-friend.

Joshua was a transhuman with too much canine DNA in his cocktail. He lived in the basement along with the other nomalies. But no one knew he was down there, except for Max and Alec. He claimed himself to be the son of 'Sandman', also known as Eric Sandeman, founder of Manticore. And unlike every other transgenic in the facility, his neck was bare of any markings. He had no barcode. He said that it was because of being the 'first'. Joshua was the first one Sandeman ever created.

The two X5s had stumbled upon him during one of their 'punishment' duties. And Max had been secretly visiting him at night, going through the lose brick in her cell wall. If Alec was up to it, he accompanied her. But he had to say, he did _not _like it down there. It gave him the creeps.

"Well, he's not captured." Max whispered in a low tone. Alec nodded. The article said nothing about the incarceration of the 'freak'. But it did talk a lot about sea monsters and alien hybrids, blah, blah, woof, woof. Alec rolled his eyes. Sometimes, ordinaries were _so _strange.

They paid for their food and exited the store. As they made their way down the empty sidewalk, they passed by a cemetery. One that Alec was familiar with. He stopped dead in his tracks, as a car exploded in his head.

Max frowned. "Hey, you alright?"

Alec didn't hear her. All he heard was her scream.

All he saw was the angry, disappointed look on her innocent, beautiful face…

…the sting of her hand as she hit him across his face…

"Rachel!" 

And then he was running.

"Alec!"

He didn't turn around even as Max called out from behind him. He blurred through the cemetery gates and into the graveyard that held the first woman he had ever loved. He had seen it. Seen her lifeless body on the news. Manticore made him watch it. Manticore made him suffer.

Manticore tortured his already wounded soul.

He reached her gravesite within seconds.

_Rachel _

_Beloved Daughter_

_January 15, 2002_

_October 21, 2019_

It wasn't until he felt Max's warm embrace that he broke.

Neither of them noticed the shadow that silently watched them.

…

Unlike the other X5s whose cells were on the same floor, she, Alec, and the other '09 clones 'lived' in a different floor. They were isolated from the rest, in case they would try escaping like their twins. Apparently, Manticore wasn't taking any chances…after all, it could be genetic.

Fortunately for them, it wasn't. And after spending some time in Psychological Operations for some testing, poking, and prodding, they were finally cleared for their solo missions. She could still remember the day Alec was called for debriefing. He had been so damned cocky about it. Being the first one sent on a long-term mission.

Max had been a bit bitter towards him for a while, not taking pleasure of the fact that her only friend in Manticore would be gone for more than a few days. But she had been patient. She waited for him to come 'home'. The day that he had been designated to arrive finally came, and Max waited in the shadows as she watched the black SUV pull into the vicinity.

Her heart practically broke to see her best friend be dragged brutally into Psy Ops. To see the pain and guilt that laced his handsome face. To see the tears that she had never seen before flow down those beautiful hazel-green eyes of his.

To see the emptiness on his face the day he was released from Psy Ops.

It took her weeks to get the 'Alec' in X5-494 to resurface.

"Are you sure, you're alright?" Max asked as she watched him stare off into the distance.

He turned around and arched an eyebrow. "I'm always alright, Maxie." At her worried look, he smiled and gently kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, though."

"No problem." She grinned and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "But I swear, if you ever run off again, I am so going to kick your ass" her grin vanished. "Did you see that?"

Alec frowned. "See what?"

"See me." A new, unfamiliar British voice replied bluntly. The two X5s spun around to see a guy with bleached blonde hair walk into the clearing. And he was holding a shock wand.

Max did _not _like the look on his face.

…

While Sunnydale's Hellmouth was the most active in the entire universe, Seattle's Hellmouth was probably one of the most docile. Not that Buffy actually minded. After all her years of kicking vampire ass and defending the whole of humanity, it was actually good to get a break. But there were times when the Slayer within her craved for a little more action.

"I never thought that I would actually say this, but maybe we should call it a night, B." Faith yawned. "I mean, it's already twelve thirty a.m., and we only dusted about three vampires. And they weren't much of a fight, either."

"You could say that again," Buffy shook her head. "I almost wish that we'd have some major apocalypse to deal with…"

A loud shout cut through the night's silence.

They exchanged a glance. Faith tutted disapprovingly. "Never wish on a Hellmouth, B. Wasn't it you who told me that? Talk about bad luck…"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's just a coincidence, Faith. Come on, let's go check it out. I think it came from over there." She gestured towards the far side of the cemetery where most of the mausoleums and crypts stood. The wealthy part of the graveyard. The shouts grew louder, but they weren't one of fear. They were one of anger. The two Slayers crept towards the source of the noise and hid behind a marble burial chamber before peering around the edge.

Both Slayers received the biggest shock of their lives.

…

Out of the many demons and fellow vampires that he had encountered in his life, he had never met anyone like _them. _It was strange how much power and strength emerged from them, not to mention the look of deadness in their eyes. They acted upon pure instinct, they fought with utmost control, and their moves were flawless. It was as if they had been fighting since the day they were born. It was as if it was bred into them.

"Who sent you?" the girl asked. It was a simple question. But considering the fact that he was held in a chokehold and slammed against the tree with the guy glaring daggers at him, it was pretty damn difficult to answer it.

"Are you sure he's not just a hair stylist? Maybe he uses the shock wand for perms…"

"Shut up, Alec!"

"I was kidding Max!" Alec rolled his eyes, and tightened his grip on Spike's throat. "Seriously though, who do you work for? FBI? NSA?"

"A man by the name of Ames White," Spike said, grateful that he had no need for oxygen. It was too bad that he wasn't immune to pain. "A friend of yours?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Who does he work for?"

"I honestly have no idea," Spike said, going for the truth. He was dead either way, anyway. 'Alec' made it clear that he was going to break his neck if he did anything they disliked. It was a pity that vampires don't survive beheadings. "He thought I was some transgenic. So he captured me, and when he found out that I wasn't, he ordered me to capture you two…but not without putting me on a leash." He sighed. The Powers that Be were not going to be happy with him. If he just went straight to Buffy from the very beginning, he could've avoided all of this.

"What?"

"He planted a mini-bomb on my brainstem." Spike told them. "It's going to explode in twenty-four hours. So you can just release me. I'm going to die anyway."

Alec arched an eyebrow and dropped him. The vampire landed on his feet soundlessly. With a mirthless smile, he turned to leave. He barely stepped forward when they stopped him.

"If you tell us more about White, then we'll help you with the explosive." Max said.

Spike laughed incredulously. "You may be transgenics – whatever that is—but what makes you think that I would trust you with a bomb? More or less, a bomb lodged on my brainstem?"

"Well then, let us enlighten you about transgenics," Alec drawled. "We are genetically engineered supersoldiers highly trained in different fields…so yeah, I guess you could trust us with a bomb." He paused and smirked. "We have guests." He motioned towards the mausoleum. Spike followed his gaze and he froze.

The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.

_The_ Slayer had arrived.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: SO sorry to leave you hanging like that…so here's a little sneak peek for chapter five…

**Sneak Peek:**

"_You know that, Buffy. You don't love me." _


	6. Chapter Five

Big thanks to everyone who took their time to review the last chapter!  
Okay, so I'll just answer a few of your questions and then – on with the fic!

_Tap Dancing Window_ – Rachel did fall into a coma after the Berrisford mission, but at the end of the Berrisford Episode, it was stated that she died. Alec even visited her grave in the episode.

_Loralee X5-214_ – thanks for the info. But this is my fic anyway, so I can do what I want with the story. :-)

_RavynJensen_ – maybe the twins will make an appearance in this fic…just keep reading to find out…hehehe…;-)

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Five_

The presence of the two transgenics as well as Faith's had been long since forgotten, all she could see was the guilty and aggrieved face of the vampire lying on the ground. All she could see was his pain-filled eyes as he burst into flames, saving the whole of humanity. She was oblivious to the tears that streamed down her cheeks, all she could feel was anger. Pure, unadulterated anger.

"How could you do this to me?" she asked softly, dangerously.

Spike leapt nimbly to his feet, but backed away from her at the sight of the stake in her hand. There was regret in his ice-blue eyes, and Buffy then knew that he had been here for a very long time, making his presence unknown to them – making them suffer even longer. His answer surprised her. "You know why, Buffy. You know why."

"I don't know why!" she screamed. She was sobbing now, but totally unaware of it. "Tell me Spike, tell me why you never came back to us – to me? God, I never thought I would ever see you again. I hurt _so much, _Spike. We all did."

"I know."

"You know?" Buffy laughed mirthlessly. "Then why the hell didn't you show yourself? Even just tell us that you were alive? Do you really want us to suffer? Because you succeeded. Big time."

Spike stepped up to her, until they were directly face to face. His eyes mirrored her own. Pain, regret, misery. "Did you ever think that I didn't suffer? They pulled me out of there, Buffy. They pulled me out of there. Out of _sanctuary. _And they threw me into this world…into all this chaos…told me to go back to _you_. To help fight the good fight, blah, blah, woof, woof. How could I go back to a woman who doesn't even love me back?"

_That _caught her off guard. "Wha – what?"

"You know that, Buffy. You don't love me." His eyes flashed.

"Maybe I didn't. But now, now I do."

…

Logan glanced at his watch and stifled a yawn. It was almost two in the morning and he was exhausted. He got caught up with his research on Manticore. It had become his new obsession. And you couldn't blame him, it was all too interesting for a cyber-journalist like Eyes Only to push aside.

With a sigh, he stood up and ran a hand through his hair. He'd better call this a night or he'd be dead on his feet tomorrow morning. He was just about to head into his bedroom when several knocks emanated from his front door. He frowned. Visitors at two in the morning were not exactly common on his schedule. He walked across the living room and unlocking all the locks, he pulled open the door.

"Buffy," he said in surprise at seeing the blonde woman standing right in front of him. Bathed in the shadows, Logan could only see an outline of her friends. "What's up?"

She smiled brightly. "May we come in? I've got some new friends that I want to introduce you to."

Curiosity overwhelming him, Logan motioned for all of them to go in. Buffy came in first, followed closely by Faith, then a man with platinum blonde hair, then a man dressed in nothing but black, and lastly…

His jaw dropped.

"452!" he breathed. She stopped dead in her tracks in front of him, her face a mask of blankness. She was even more beautiful in person than he would've ever thought. Long dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, caramel skin glistened under the dim light, and her eyes, although disturbingly empty, were the color of coffee – no scratch that, _ice-cold _coffee.

"I go by Max now," she said reaching out her hand.

He shook it tremblingly. "Lo – Logan Cale," he stammered.

"And I'm Alec," the man dressed in black piped up with a charming grin. "Or better known as X5-494."

"And I'm Spike!" A voice called out irritably from the living room. It belonged to the blonde. He had made himself comfortable on Logan's sofa, and he was scowling at the three of them. The two Slayers had taken seats on either side of him. "And I have a bomb lodged on my brainstem."

"Wha- what?" Logan asked in disbelief. "How did that happen?"

"We'll tell you the story later, right now, we need to find how the hell we're gonna take that thing out of Spike before his head explodes." Faith grinned lethally. "And we all know that's the perfect way to kill a vampire."

"_Vampire_?" Logan repeated, his tone slightly panicked. "You brought a vampire here?"

"Don't worry about Spike, old man. He's cool." Faith smirked, amused at Logan's jumpiness.

"So could you help us or not?" Buffy demanded impatiently.

Logan nodded. "Of course. I know a med-tech who used to work at Manticore – before the whole facility burst into flames." He eyed the two transgenics, carefully watching their reactions. Alec was as hard as stone, his expression completely neutral. Max wore the same blank mask, but her eyes betrayed her emotions. And right now, anger and pain were burning in those deep brown depths.

"How do you know so much about Manticore, anyway?" Max asked. Suspicion laced her voice, as well as distrust.

"I work for Eyes Only." Logan replied. He saw Buffy frowning at him and shaking her head. The look in her eyes told him to go for the truth. "Alright, fine. I _am _Eyes Only. The one responsible for exposing Manticore to the public."

"You mean, the one responsible for almost killing all of us," Alec corrected. His hazel-green eyes were hard and threatening. It almost made Logan want to take a step backward. He had to remind himself that these people were perfectly capable of killing him in the blink of an eye. "Plausible deniability, Logan. We're nothing but meat to them. And once you exposed Manticore, they had no choice but to eliminate all evidence that Manticore ever existed…that _we _ever existed. Or risk letting their other operations be jeopardized."

Logan swallowed. He knew that if it weren't for Max, Alec, and their genetically-enhanced intellect, every single transgenic within Manticore would've died in the fire. "I know." He said. "But Manticore _had _to be exposed. The public needs to know the number of crimes Manticore has committed."

Max shrugged. "So now they do." she smiled bitterly. "Let the hunt for the transgenics begin."

Alec laughed. "They'll have to catch us first. And if they do…" he trailed off. "Let's just say that us X5s don't give up easily." There was a predatory gleam in his eyes that sent chills running down Logan's spine.

"Look, sorry to interrupt, but I'm going to die in," Spike glanced at his watch. "Sixteen hours."

"Right, right." Logan fumbled for his cellphone and quickly pressed a button. As he made his call, Max turned to face their other companions.

"So, you guys never told us what your deal was." She said with a slight grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We're called Slayers. And we slay vampires."

"Wow, that was very vague of you." Max said with mock surprise.

"Look who's talking, it's not like you and Alec told us the whole story, anyway." Buffy said crossing her arms across her chest. She knew that the two transgenics will probably never tell them about their past. Trust seemed to be an issue for them. So why should she?

Max shrugged. "I guess your right."

"We need to go now," Logan said closing his cellphone. "The med-tech's not very keen on staying around Seattle for long. Manticore's on his tail."

"Then I don't think it will be a good idea for Max and I to tag along," Alec said. He stood up and stretched. He resembled a cat – graceful and lithe. The female counterparts in the room could not help but stare, save for Max of course, who was used to being around such an attractive male specimen.

"Well you guys are welcome to stay here," Logan said motioning at his apartment. "We'll be back in no time."

"Let's get the bloody hell going before I seriously suck the blood out of every single one of you, because I am seriously getting pissed off. It's almost as if nobody cares about my well-being here." Spike sniffed and stormed out of the apartment first. The two Slayers followed in amusement.

"See ya Logan," Alec said, mocking a two-fingered salute at him. "Don't worry about your apartment. We promise to keep it intact." He grinned rakishly.

Logan shot them a dubious look before closing the door shut behind him, leaving the two X5s alone in the posh, luxurious living area of the infamous Eyes Only.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: Review please!

Oh, and no sneak peek this time…I'm still changing some stuff in the next chapter….so be patient! It will come:-)


	7. Chapter Six

**Thanks for all of you who reviewed! You guys made my day!**

_Iridescent Twilight: _hahaha! I don't think Logan will have any unfortunate "accidents" in the story. Hahaha! But I do agree with you on the whole "stalker" thing. I've got a little of example of that here in this chapter. Hehehe…

_Doza: _This is sorta Alternate Reality…Max and Logan never met because Max never escaped back in '09. At least, in _my _story. So yeah, I guess it takes some time to get used to. And don't worry, this is totally M/A.

_RavynJensen: _M/A all the way…hehehe…:-)

_Tap Dancing Widow: _I forgot how vampires can't get into someone's house without getting invited in. Hmm…how can I forget about that? Anyways, let's just say that Spike got invited in. Hehehe…:-)

**And thanks to everyone else: **_lakergirl08, bob, Lynn-50670, screaminheathen69, kim, ElizabethV, Sequoia, Mari, and Jessika._

NOW ON WITH THE FIC!

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Six _

The med-tech's current hideaway was a dingy motel thirty minutes away from Foggle Towers, and the technician, a balding thirty-something year old man, was packing his things by the time the four of them arrived. Without much as a nod of acknowledgement, the med-tech went straight to business. He pulled up a chair and motioned for Spike to take his seat. The vampire did as told.

"I can disarm it," the tech said after a brief examination. "But it will cost you five grand."

"No problem," Spike said with a smirk, pulling out a wad of money from his pocket.

"Where the hell did you get that kind of money?" Buffy demanded, hands on her hips.

"Curiosity killed the cat, love." Spike winked at her before gesturing at the tech to do his thing.

After three seconds of holding their breath (except for Spike who did not breathe), the tech pulled out the micro-explosive from his brainstem and held it at arms-length, allowing the group to take a good look at it. "Well that's about it." He tossed it at a nearby trash can, and picked up his suitcase. "Sayonara, folks."

"Wait, what about that thing," Buffy pointed at the can. "Won't it explode?"

The tech rolled his eyes. "Oh it will explode. But it's a micro-explosive. It'll be nothing more than a small 'pop'." He grinned mirthlessly. "Of course, that small 'pop' would've been enough to make his head," he pointed at Spike. "Go boom."

"Alright, alright. We get the picture," Faith said with a wince. "Now let's get outta here."

…

"Alec!"

He spun around at the sound of Max's voice. She was scowling at him, hands on her hips, and glaring daggers at him. He raised his eyebrows innocently. "What?"

"You can't just go off stealing that painting!" She hissed accusingly.

He frowned. "Why not? He's got more than what he needs. Honestly Maxie, you have to admit that this place is overly decorated. Paintings here, statues there, a vase of flowers over there. I'm just helping him out with the excess decors." He smirked, and winked at her. "Just like you are helping him out with the excess food."

Max stuck out her tongue at him. "That's different. He can buy more food. But he certainly can't get another painting like that!" she pointed at the medium-sized canvas that was resting on Alec's palms. "That has to cost at least thirty grand."

"Aw, come on Max. He won't even notice it's gone." Alec pleaded. "And besides, thirty grand will be get us a new apartment, some food, and some clothes."

Her frown vanished in an instant, and Alec knew he had won her over. "Well, when you put it that way…" She grinned and then rolled her eyes. "But if he notices, I'm blaming you."

"No problem," He shrugged off his jacket and placed the painting carefully inside it. He then folded it and tucked it under his arm. His eyes traveled over to the half-open door that led to the room where Logan kept all of his computer equipment. Max followed his gaze and shook her head.

"Don't even think about it."

"Too bad Maxie, I already did." He smirked at her and strolled into the room. Whatever Max thought, he didn't trust Logan. Not one single bit. Nor did he trust Buffy and her crew. It was a little thing that Manticore taught them.

"Just don't – change anything," Max said nervously, as she watched him type several commands on the computer keyboard. He skipped through files and documents about terrorism and illegal shipments – mostly save-the-world shit. He was starting to get bored when he came across a folder entitled 'Manticore' that his attention sharpened.

Max, who had taken her seat beside him was the first to tell him to open it. He raised an eyebrow at her and she just glared at him. "Well, we need to know how much he knows about Manticore. For all we know, he might be the enemy."

"For the first time in my so-called 'life', I actually agree with you." Alec said and ducked just before her hand came to smack his head. She missed it by centimeters. He had to go through a number of security systems and codes – nothing he couldn't handle. Although he had to admit, he was impressed with Logan's computer skills. He was only an ordinary after all.

After several minutes of cracking into the file, he finally made it through, and he almost fell out of his seat when a close-up picture of Max, dressed in her cammies filled up the screen. From the background, he caught sight of himself just behind her, and other X5s making a run for their life. This was taken during Manticore's termination.

"What the fuck," Max said in shock.

"He must've hacked into Manticore's security cameras," Alec shook his head. "Why the hell is this guy so obsessed with Manticore? Not to mention…with you." Alec frowned as he opened several folders, most of them came up with pictures of Max, her medical files, the missions she had completed, even her training schedule. "What is up with this guy?"

"I don't know, but he has officially freaked me out." Max said.

Alec stared at her. "I wonder if he knows about what Renfro told you."

Max's dark eyes clouded over.

Flashback 

"_Alec! They're going to place Manticore into lockdown!" she yelled above the chaos that had ensued everywhere. She pulled Alec out of his cell just as every single transgenic became trapped in their own cells. The guards were nowhere to be found. _

"_This way," Alec shouted and blurred towards the control room, Max at his heels. The smell of fire was thick in the air. And they knew that if they didn't get out of here in time, they were toast. _

_They burst into the control room to find two guards and the Director of Manticore herself issuing the commands on the computers. Without further thought, each X5 took a guard each and twisted their necks around in a sickening snap. Now wasn't the time to play saint. _

_They had just entered hell._

_Renfro turned around and smiled sadistically at them. "452, how nice of you to join me. Because I am not leaving the compound without you." She glanced at Alec. "And only 452." She pulled out a gun and trained it on Alec. A stupid thing to do, considering there were two of them and one of her. Not to mention the fact that the two of them were transgenics – X5s at that. _

_In a move too fast for the human eye to follow, Alec had knocked the gun out of Renfro's hands and was about to knock her unconscious when she crumpled to the ground. He turned around to see a guard pointing a gun at them, his eyes were wide with terror. It seems that he had shot the wrong person._

_Alec flashed him a feral smile. _

_That was all the guard needed, he turned and ran for his life. _

_Max simultaneously finished typing in the commands disabling the lockdown, and from outside, they could here shouts of confusions and anger emanating from the transgenics. Footsteps thundered outside the control room – all heading towards the same direction – freedom._

_They were about to follow when Renfro's rasping voice called out towards them._

"_You're the one we've been looking for, 452…Sandeman…"_

_Max stared at her. _

"_Find…Sandeman…"_

_End Flashback_

"Father," Max whispered, remembering the transhuman she had made friends with during her free time in the basement. His name was Joshua – and he had referred to Sandeman as his 'Father', that he was the first one that Sandeman ever created. The first child.

"Joshua," Alec nodded in understanding. "You know, things just became a tad bit more complicated to understand."

"Maybe I can help."

The two X5s spun around to see Logan standing in the doorway, for who knew how long. The two of them had been so caught up in their 'research' that they hadn't heard him come in. Alec cursed himself mentally for that.

Max stared at him. "Maybe."

Buffy, Faith, and Spike sauntered into the room, wondering what everyone was talking about. "So what's up?" Buffy asked, cheerfully. "Why all the serious faces?"

"Uh nothing," Alec said, pushing a button on the monitor, and immediately, the computer screen went black. "Nothing at all."

Faith was staring at Max weirdly.

"What?" Max asked.

"I forgot to tell you," she said. "You're wearing my clothes."

"Oh."

…

_To be continued… _

…

A/N: Liked it? Please review!


	8. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**

_Tap Dancing Widow, RavynJensen, Iridescent Twilight, Doza, Loralee X5-214, Loisen, Athena80, and Quezacolt._

A/N: This chapter is kinda short, but hope you guys enjoy it! I'll try to update sooner:-)

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Seven_

The night passed quickly, and pretty soon the dark sky outside was slowly changing it's gloomy hues into various shades of red and gold. Dawn was approaching.

"Not to be a killjoy but if I don't get out of here soon, I won't be able to get out at all." Spike drawled, looking pointedly at the blonde in front of him.

"You're right," Buffy said. She turned to look at Logan. "We'll see if we can stop by tomorrow, Logan."

"Yeah, sure." Logan replied absently, apparently deep in thought.

Buffy glanced at the two transgenics. "You guys wanna hang with us for a while? Until you can find a place to stay, you're welcome to stay with us."

Max smiled but shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but Alec and I are planning on renting on apartment. We'll manage. We always do." she said to her. Then, she turned to Logan and threw him a contemplative look. "Alec and I will drop by tonight – to uh, talk about that thing."

Buffy stared at them curiously. They were obviously keeping something from them. _Dangerous things, no doubt. _She thought, her mind replaying the images of fire and the smell of blood hours before. Not that she wasn't used to such thing, she practically lived around fire and blood. It was her life.

And the worst part was, she didn't ask to be given such a life.

Probably something that she had in common with the two mysteries that were Max and Alec. She had yet to unravel their secrets. Just like they had yet to unravel hers.

All they needed was some time to warm up to each other, and those secrets will eventually come out.

"Well, what the bloody hell are we waiting for?" Spike asked impatiently. "I don't fancy burn marks, all that much, thank you."

"Geez, impatient much?" Faith asked, rolling her eyes. The vampire growled at her.

"Alec, don't forget you're – jacket." Max said pointing at the bundle of clothing seated next to the computer. He grinned at her and picked it up, tucking it safely under his arm.

Buffy shrugged. "Let's go before Spike becomes a walking bonfire. And besides, our friends would love to meet you." She said to the two, before training her gaze on Spike. "And most of them would be wanting some answers from you, vamp-boy."

Realization dawned on Spike. "You know what, maybe it's best if we stay here after all."

Faith rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the sleeve of his leather duster. And without further ado, dragged the protesting vampire out of Foggle Towers, the rest trailing behind in fits of laughter.

…

"Well, that was easy." Alec said thumbing through the wad of money. "Twenty-five grand. Five thousand short of what I expected it to be – but hey, still big money."

Max shook her head and grinned. They had just come from one of Alec's black market contacts – some friends that he made during his outside missions. Thus, the money.

She didn't like Alec stealing from Logan, but she _did _like the fact that they would soon have a warm place to come home to, and not some dingy motel or dusty farmhouse. "As easy as that was, given our 'special' skills. I still think that we should get a job."

"Stealing _is _our job, Maxie." Alec smirked. "Or did you forget that?" But on noticing the death glare that Max sent his way. He immediately backtracked. "Okay, okay. You're right. We should get a job. Just make sure it isn't something boring."

"Jam Pony."

"What?" Alec asked, confused. That was completely out of the topic. What about ponies?

"Jam Pony Messenger Service," Max read, pointing at the rusted sign hanging on top of an old building. It had obviously been around for a while. "This would be perfect."

"I don't see how running around the city delivering packages to ungrateful old people could be perfect."

Max shot him another look. "Idiot. Seattle is packed full of sector points. And the only way we can move smoothly around the city – in case something happens, is to have sector passes. And obviously, these messengers have one."

"I knew that," Alec said innocently. "I was just playing."

Max rolled her eyes and smacked him upside the head before taking him by the arm and dragging him inside.

More than a few heads turned to look at the two strangers walking into Jam Pony. Male and female alike. Which was pretty much, to be expected, considering they had perfect DNA and were therefore flawless from head to toe.

_Well, flawless on the outside anyway_. Max thought, ignoring the appreciative glances the male populate of the workers were giving her. _Alec definitely has some flaws when it comes to his personality – can you say, cocky, egotistical smart-aleck? _She rolled her eyes as Alec flashed his famous charming grin on several of the girls standing near the locker area.

She went straight to the dispatch counter where a middle-aged man wearing eyeglasses and a headset stood behind, shouting orders to everyone. "Bip, bip people! These packages need to be delivered, and if they don't get delivered, we don't get signatures, and if we don't get signatures…you delinquents don't get paid!"

In an instant, the whole place became a bustle of noise and commotion once again. The man looked at the two of them. "What can I do for you?" he asked them in a disinterested voice.

Max plastered a fake smile on her face. "We were wondering if you have any vacancies for a job?"

He stopped what he was doing and gave the two of them a good once-over. It was as if he was gauging their ability to work. _Oh, we could deliver packages alright. Even if we have to deliver them to Iraq, we'd get the damned signatures. _She thought wryly.

"And your names are?"

"My name's Max, and this is Alec." She replied. "Mr…?"

"Call me Normal. Everyone here does," Normal said, grabbing two application forms from the desk behind him. He thrust it towards them and shooed them away. "Fill those up, and we'll see about those jobs."

Alec gave her a look before the two of them went over to an empty plastic table and started on their forms. "We'd better come up with more than a few lies for this, Maxie." He said as he finished reading the questions on the paper in five seconds flat.

"That'll be easy," Max said with a shrug, not that much concerned about it. It was just an application form. Nothing drastic. They were simply doing it to get a job.

After they were done, they gave them back to Normal who briefly read it before tossing them behind him. "Alright then. I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Fire away boss," Alec said.

"Do any of you do drugs?"

Max and Alec exchanged a look. Even if they did, they wouldn't tell him, now would they? "No."

"Drink large amounts of alcohol?"

"No."

"Have done illegal and unlawful activities?"

_Yup. We've killed people, we've stolen from people, you name it. _But out loud, she said. "Of course not!" Alec shot her an amused look.

"Alright-y then," Normal nodded approvingly before opening his mouth and yelling two names. "Jordan! Skye! Get your asses over here right now!"

Two guys eating pizzas came over cautiously. "You called boss?"

"You're fired!" Normal yelled.

The two guys shrugged, and still eating their pizzas exited the building.

Normal rolled his eyes. "Typical." He turned to the two transgenics. "Welcome to Jam Pony."

…

Special Agent Ames White sat intolerantly behind his desk, inside the tent that his men had put up somewhere within Seattle's forests. He was currently sitting near the very edge of his patience, and that was because they were still unable to find the location of the two delinquent freaks. 452 and 494. The ones responsible for releasing every single transgenic filth into the world. If it weren't for them, they would've been burnt corpses by now.

But there was one other thing that he wanted to know about X5-452. Several days ago, one of his men had retrieved a briefcase from the Manticore site. Inside the briefcase was a computer and a number of computer disks. What he found in one of them was a DNA workup of a certain X5. And that was 452.

Strangely, she didn't have any junk DNA. Junk DNA was Layman's terms for base pairs that don't contain viable genetic information. They don't do anything more rather than fill space.

So it seemed that every single base pair in 452's system was coded for some specific genetic question.

Now the money question was…_what did it mean?_

White growled. _Just you wait, 452. I'm going to find out everything, even if it means taking you apart piece by piece. _He smirked.

Instantaneously, his cell phone rang. One glance at number told him that this call was important. "Fe'nos tol."

_ Fe'nos tol_,_ Brother White.>_

Came the reply from the other end of the line. White straightened involuntarily.

_ We have found a suitable sacrifice for the coming ritual. It was a unanimous decision from the Conclave. It is now up to you, Brother White, to make sure that we obtain the sacrifice exactly two days before the ceremony. Numerous cleansing rites have to be performed in order to make her appear – proper, exteriorly and interiorly.>_

"I bow to the wisdom," White answered, trying to keep the sarcasm away from his voice.

He listened to the instructions warily, smiling as he carefully planned out the capture.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: Isn't White just the best evil villain? Hehehe…anyways, REVIEW!


	9. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! **

Iridescent Twilight, Doza, X5-459

HoneyX5-452: Zack won't be appearing in the story…but I hope you keep on reading it!

Athena80: You'll be surprised on who the sacrifice will be. ;-)

**Reminder: This fic is: _Alternate Universe_**

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

Chapter Eight 

Night fell, and soon the whole of Seattle was bathed in darkness. It was almost twelve midnight, the witching hour – the perfect time for a heist. A black shadow ran down a rooftop, with speed almost impossible to pursue. It leapt from building to building with the grace of a feline. And finally, it jumped from the rooftop and landed soundlessly on top of the next building.

The figure smiled. Clad in nothing but black, and moving like a shadow, she was practically invisible to the human eye. After making sure that no hoverdrones were present, she lowered herself on the fire-escape ladder on the side of the building wall. She came to a stop next to a certain window – her target. The curtains were drawn, and although the lights were turned off, she could clearly see everything within. Her mouth practically watered at her main objective. It stood against the wall.

Her name was Bast. The Egyptian goddess who comprehends all goddesses, eye of Ra, protector, avenger, destroyer…giver of life who lives forever. The golden statue was French, made in the 1920's. A tribute to Chitarus.

Plus, she wouldn't admit that she liked it so much because it was so shiny.

She quickly took out her tools and cut a neat little circle on the window. And without further hesitation, she wriggled through the hole and tumbled noiselessly into the penthouse. Grabbing her empty black backpack, she started to put the statue in it, but was unfortunately interrupted.

"Max? You're _stealing _from me?"

She spun around to see the owner of the penthouse standing in the middle of the room, holding a cup of coffee in one hand. He was still fully dressed, and the wrinkles on his shirt and the way his hair stood at different directions told her that he had been up working.

She mentally cursed herself for not noticing the dim light glowing from the next room. It was obviously coming from a computer screen. She was X5, damnit! Unbelievably stupid of her. After two seconds of staring at him, his words finally sunk into her brain. _Max? _

"Okay, I've got three things to tell you." She said, slowly backing away from him. She'll have to come back for the statue some other time. "Number one: a girl's gotta make a living. Number two: I'm not this Max-chick. And number three: I gotta blaze."

And with that, X5-453 wriggled back through the hole and fuck the ladder, jumped from the edge and landed lithely onto the ground. She hopped onto her bike and sped into the night, leaving Logan to stare after her retreating figure from above.

…

"I never knew that delivering packages could be so tiring," Max complained, as she and Alec strolled back into Jam Pony for the fifth time that morning, bikes in tow.

Alec smirked at her. "I think the only thing that's got you tired is being nice to all the old ladies."

Max laughed and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Shut up, Alec." They plopped down on a vacant bench and took out the sodas they bought from a nearby vending machine. "I can't believe we still haven't found an apartment yet."

"We should've just taken Buffy's offer," Alec said downing his drink with one last gulp.

Max glared at him. "You _know_, I don't trust them."

Alec flashed her a devilish smile. "Or maybe, you just don't want to share ol' Alec."

He was again rewarded by another hit on the shoulder – only this time, it was a lot more painful. "Ow!" he whined, rubbing the sore spot with much exaggeration.

Max rolled her eyes. "You're such a big baby."

Alec then remembered something. "Hey Max. Did you forget about us dropping by Logan's place last night? You know, to talk about Renfro and shit?"

Max's eyes widened. "Oh my god. I totally forgot."

Alec shook his head. "Tut, tut, Maxie. Are you _sure _you don't have brain damage?"

"Alec." Max warned. "If you _don't _shut up, I swear you are going to have a large bruise tonight."

He grinned cheekily at her. "It depends _where._"

"Argh!" Max growled in frustration. "You are _so _annoying! Maybe we _should _have taken Buffy's offer. It's better than spending all day and all night with you in one freakin' apartment!"

"What's this I hear about apartments?" A new voice asked. It had a sassy edge to it, causing the two transgenics to turn around. An African-American woman stood behind them with a hand on her hip.

"Hey there," Alec said, his charming smile once again making it's appearance. "My name's Alec, and the bitch here is --."

"I'm Max," she introduced herself, glaring at Alec, and smiling at the woman. There was something about her that Max immediately liked.

"Name's Original Cindy, but everyone here calls me OC." She said with a warm smile. "So – you lovebirds lookin' for an apartment, huh?"

"We're not -- " Max started.

"Yep!" Alec said at the same time throwing an arm around her shoulder. She quickly shrugged it off with a scowl.

OC raised an eyebrow. "You sweeties can stay with OC, if you like. Of course, you gotta help pay the rent. My roommate just moved out with her punk-ass boyfriend. So I've got plenty of room."

"That would be great." Max smiled.

…

"Hey." A hand clamped onto his shoulder, making him jump out of his seat in alarm, his heart jumping right along with him. He turned around to face the intruder, half-angry, half-frightened. He didn't know whether to feel annoyed or relieved when he saw who it was.

"Max, you scared me." He said, running a hand through his hair.

"It's an X5-thing," a masculine voice said from his right, thus startling him once again. He glared at Alec. "There's a little thing called 'knocking' you know."

"Like I said, it's an X5-thing." Alec stared at him. "What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

"You can say that again," he muttered under his breath, slowly lowering himself back on his computer chair. He opened up several of his security files, looking for the footage from last night. Finally finding it, he opened it up and placed it on pause. He then turned back to look at Max.

"We forgot to drop by last night, I know." Max said apologetically. "Sorry about that."

Logan waved it off. "That's okay. But somebody else dropped by."

Alec cocked an eyebrow. "Who? The tooth fairy?"

Logan glared at him. "Why don't you take a look at this." He hit the play button and the events from last night, made its appearance on Logan's computer screen. He himself, took a closer look as well, not noticing the expressions on the transgenic's faces.

_Max? You're stealing from me? _

Max rolled her eyes and poked Alec in the ribs. She was answered by another one of his cheeky grins. But it swiftly vanished at the sight of Max's mirror image.

"That's my twin -- 453," Max informed Logan. "She was one of the twelve who escaped back in '09." Her mask had gone up, but her dark brown eyes betrayed her anger.

_Traitor. _

"She's here in Seattle," Alec said, trying to keep his emotions intact. "We have to find her."

Max nodded.

Logan stared at them, his bright blue eyes full of questions, and a tiny bit of understanding. "Very well. But I just want to remind you that retribution is never the answer."

…

Faith wandered through Seattle's market place. She had a sudden craving for a Fudgy-Buddy. And she still had not found the ice cream vendor. She sighed and settled herself on an empty bench. The last three days had been wild. Spike's resurrection, Manticore's demise, their new friendship with two killing machines.

She shrugged. She was a Slayer. She was _supposed _to have a wild life. A grin split her face when her eyes caught sight of the man she had been looking for. She practically ran all the way over to him. "Hi. One Fudgy-Buddy please." The vendor answered her cravings, and once again disappeared into the crowd of people.

Faith smiled happily as she ate her ice cream. Tough-ass-chick eating ice cream. Now that's a picture. She frowned when she finished it. That was a bit too quick for her. _Oh well, there's always next time_. She thought.

She was about to go back to the apartment, when she bumped into a familiar someone. Dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, black outfit. "Hey."

"Hey." The other girl replied almost monotonously and brushed past Faith without so much as a glance.

"Where are you going?" Faith called out, a bit miffed that Max would brush her off like that.

"None of your business," Max called back at her and vanished into the throng of marketers. Faith scowled, and looked around for any sign of her handsome partner-in-crime. She grinned when she saw him standing near the bench she had abandoned. Her grin faded when she saw who he was standing with.

"Hey Faith!" Alec called out to her. She jogged over to him – and Max.

"Max?" She asked doubtfully. "Is that you? Coz' I swear I just bumped into you a few seconds ago."

Max sighed. "I see you've met my twin."

"Twin?" Faith echoed.

"Max's twin, X5-453." Alec shook his head. "Did you know where she went?"

"I – I, she went that way." She pointed the direction, still a bit bewildered.

"Thanks." Alec said and they too vanished into the crowd of people.

"You're welcome!" Faith yelled back at them. She sighed, and made her way back to the apartment.

Another wild day to add to her list.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: In my story, Sam (453) never had a family, and she was one of those who escaped in '09. Got it? Good. Now be a kind person and REVIEW! ;-)


	10. Chapter Nine

A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! Here' s the next chapter…ENJOY!

**_Fire and Blood_**

_By: human28_

_Chapter Nine_

Ever since she had arrived in Seattle, one single thing had caught her attention. And that was the Space Needle. Although she had pushed it into the back of her mind, having more important things to deal with, she never forgot about it. How could she when every single minute of the day, she could see it towering over the hundreds of dilapidated buildings in Seattle.

Being part-cat, the inner feline in her had a penchant for high places, and she had sworn to herself the second she saw the Space Needle that she would take time to climb it. And now seemed to be a perfect time for that. She was tired, irritated, and very, very pissed.

She and Alec had lost track of 453, and the both of them decided to get some rest before going out again to search for her. You'd think that it would be easy for them to find their target since they were transgenics. But 453 had been running and hiding from Manticore for almost twelve years of her life. She was practically an expert when it came to that.

It was going to prove to be a very difficult task.

"I just wanna crawl into bed," Alec said, not bothering to stifle a yawn. "What number was OC's apartment again?"

"331." Max replied absently, her eyes fixed on the Needle. "You go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

Alec followed her gaze. "The Space Needle, huh?" he shrugged. "I'll come with you if you like."

Max shook her head no. "That's okay. I just need some time with myself, is all."

Alec nodded. "See you later then. But be careful, alright?"

Max stared at him, surprised. He shrugged and smiled tiredly. The sun was beginning to dip, and the night was slowly crawling back to cover the city in darkness. "We've just lost so many already, back at Manticore…I don't want to lose you too."

Max smiled. She knew that Alec cared for her. How many times had he stood by her back at Manticore? But it was rarely when he actually told her how much he cared. "Don't worry. I promise I won't fall off."

He laughed. "Hell would freeze over before that happened."

She watched his retreating back before making her way towards the Space Needle.

…

"This is a streaming freedom video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city…

Sam could only stare at the television screen in silent shock. _Those eyes. _She thought with a frown. She knew those eyes.

…there are certain men who move through the world with impunity. Their actions, no matter how vile are immune from consequence. Edgar Sonrisa is such a man. You've seen him, smiling at political fund-raisers…"

She did not wait for Eyes Only to finish, as she hurriedly switched off her TV. Grabbing her jacket, she exited her apartment and made her way to Foggle Towers, her mind filled with thousands of questions.

Eyes Only was the one who exposed Manticore. The place where she had been created and designed. The place that had haunted her dreams at night. The place that was now laying in burnt ruins. So many questions…and she knew that only the cyber-terrorist could answer them. It was ironic how she had almost stolen from the man who held answers that she so badly needed.

She braked to a stop in front of the upscale apartment-building. Raising her eyes several floors up, she couldn't help but smile at the golden statue still sitting there – waiting for her. _Now is not the time for that, Sam. _She scolded herself, before climbing up the building using her trusty tools. The hole in the window was still there, temporarily covered by plastic and tape.

Shaking her head in amusement, she ripped it off and made her way in. As she stood in the middle of the living room, brushing the imaginary dust off of her clothes, she failed to notice that someone was in the room – again.

She looked up to see – a mirror?

"Hi."

Sam staggered several steps backward. _No – it can't be…impossible._

"I guess we haven't been properly introduced," her mirror image said with a smile that was neither cold nor cheerful. It was strangely crooked…almost empty. "I'm Max. X5-452. You're twin."

Sam opened her mouth to speak but was at loss for words.

Max's smile vanished. Sam watched warily as her twin started to circle her like a hawk circling it's prey. She didn't know why she couldn't move, couldn't speak. Shock had overcome her senses. Something within her told her that X5-452 was very angry.

And she knew why.

She had lived with that guilt for so many years. Her siblings had convinced her that it was the right thing to do. That escape was the only way out of the painful vertigo that was Manticore. But the soldier in her, the X5-453 in her, told her that what she had done was wrong.

After all, it had been drilled into them since day one. _Loyalty always comes FIRST._

Sam slowly raised her gaze from the floor to the woman who had her exact same face. And before she knew what had happened, Max's fist came out of nowhere and hit her straight in the face.

And she didn't fight back.

…

Now, on the other side of the opaque wall that separated the living room and the computer room, two males sat quietly on their seats, watching two black silhouettes stand face to face in overwrought silence. The tension radiated from the two women in massive waves, setting Logan and Alec on an edge. They had chosen not to interfere.

And they both waited to see what would happen.

The cyber-terrorist shook his head. "Max is looking for vengeance, isn't she?"

"Not exactly vengeance," Alec said, his eyes fixed on the two figures. "Max just wants 453 to know the price we had to pay for their freedom."

…

"Well now, that felt great." Max said, shaking her fist with a mirthless smile. "I've always wanted to hit a traitor."

Sam stared at her, anger and regret bubbling inside her. She knew what they had done was wrong – that was 453 talking, but they had their reasons for escaping. Now _that _was Sam talking.

"Don't call me a traitor," Sam hissed, her dark brown eyes flashing.

"Why not?" Max asked menacingly. "That's _exactly _what you are. You betrayed Manticore. You betrayed all of _us._"

"We had our reasons!" Sam yelled, her fists clenching and unclenching. "It wasn't Jack's fault that he had seizures. But they still took him away. They took him away, and they cut him open and dissected him." Sam felt tears well up in her eyes. "Do you know how hard that is? Watching your brother get dragged away knowing that he'll never come back?"

Max continued to stare at her in silence.

"When the seizures hit Jondy…" Sam shook her head, willing the tears not to fall. "We knew we couldn't lose her." She stared her twin straight in the eye. "That's when we decided to escape. I know what we did was wrong…but the thought of losing Jondy…" she trailed off.

"So you ran," Max said, her eyes growing dark. "You think life sucked when we were ten? A little schooling, a little brainwashing, some maneuvers outside? You think that was tough?"

Sam held her ground. "Manticore was _hell _for us."

Max laughed coldly, and shook her head. "Well it was hell for us too. But when you and your little rugrat brothers and sisters left. The temperature just went about a hundred degrees up. You escaped leaving the consequences to us. We were _punished _because of you. It was double the training. Double the torture. Double the _pain._"

Sam swallowed. She didn't know… "I didn't know…"

"Shut up!" Max yelled at her. "It was _hell _for us." She mimicked, her eyes burning. "Do you know what they did to us? The twins?" Sam saw pain flash through her twin's face. "They sent us to Psy Ops. They had to make sure it wasn't genetic. But we did what we had to do. Then we tried to forget. And if we couldn't forget, Manticore had ways of making us not care."

Sam didn't know whether to apologize or just shut up.

Max seemed to read her mind, because she spat out disdainfully. "Sorry won't cut it, _453._"

Sam looked away. "We didn't know. We didn't really think about what would happen if we left. All we cared about that time was saving Jondy's life. We didn't want to go through the painful cycle of grief, again. We didn't want to lose another one of ours."

"You lost one," Max said. Her voice leveled down, it became empty…drained. "We lost dozens."

That stung her. But what she said before was true…_they didn't know…_

"And it was all because of the '09 escape." Sam could feel her gaze on her.. "Double the training. Double the torture. Double the pain. Some of us couldn't take it. They were sent to Reindoc. Others just didn't survive the training. Like I said, hell just became a whole lot hotter after you ran."

Max shook her head and sighed. A tired sigh. It was almost like she revisited those excruciating days in Manticore, and was left all burnt-out. Physically and emotionally. It was as if all energy had been drained from her. "Let's just call it a stalemate." Max said in not more than a mere murmur. "We suffered back there. You suffer now."

Sam drew in a deep breath. She _was _suffering. It felt like her conscience was being ripped apart. But she knew it would heal. Like all bruises and wounds would. It would heal. At least she knew the truth. That running away was never the answer. Max helped her understand that, and tiny part of her was grateful for it.

The weak smile that graced Max's features surprised Sam. It was weak, but it was genuine. "So we're even then?"

Max shrugged. "What the hell. Besides, I haven't beaten the crap out of your 'siblings' yet. It wasn't entirely _you're _fault you know." Sam forced out a smile. She vowed to stay out of the way when that time comes. She already had the privilege of experiencing Max's hot temper first-hand, and she had no intention of getting second helpings. "Let's just start over, shall we? I'm Max, or better known as X5-452."

"Sam," she introduced with a smile. "X5-453."

…

TBC… 

…

A/N: I know, I know, Max was a bit out of character, but I couldn't help it! Drama, drama, drama! Anyways, what did you think of this chapter? And I'm SO sorry for the lack of BTVS in this chap….they'll come into play in the next chapter…REVIEW!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: One of you guys told me to employ Sam in Jam Pony to confuse Normal even more…hahahaha! That would be hilarious. I'll probably take your suggestion on that. If I can fit it in the story somewhere…anyway, on with the fic! SO sorry for the lack of updates. I've been busy. Here's chapter eleven…hope you guys enjoy.

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Eleven_

"You've got to be kidding me," Alec groaned, staring at the weaponry laid out before him. Buffy's friends had arrived several minutes ago and after some introductions, they pulled out a variety of weapons from their oversized black duffel bags and gave the transgenics the liberty to choose what ever they liked.

Unfortunately, none of them liked the weapons one bit.

"What the hell are these?" Max frowned, nudging a wicked-looking sword with her foot. "They look like they've been around for a millennium."

Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed an extremely sharp scythe from the table. "They may be old but they're nasty and they can kill almost anything." At the look on Giles' face, she sighed. "Okay, so maybe not anything. Sometimes, you gotta work some magic too."

Max blew out her breath. "Fine, fine. I'll take…" She randomly picked up a crossbow and three throwing knives. "These."

Sam shook her head and took several steps backwards. There was a glint of fear, and a tiny tinge of regret in her eyes. It was obvious that she didn't like swords and knives all that much. It reminded her too much of Manticore. Of being in the testing room. Of being a guinea pig. "Uh, no thanks. I do better with hand to hand combat."

Buffy nodded understandingly and turned to look at Alec who still had not picked a weapon. "Hurry up, bozo. My sister is out there and we don't know how much time we have."

Alec flashed her a lopsided grin before pulling out a pair of 9mms from his black leather jacket. "I'm all set."

Max smiled sweetly at him. "And you wouldn't mind sharing one of them with me, now would you?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing there was no way he would ever say no to Max. Sam eyed the pistols cagily, while Buffy stared at them in mild interest. "Why do you guys like guns so much?"

"They look good on me," Alec smirked.

"Egotistical ass," Max muttered.

Alec heard it and shot her a glare.

Max ignored it and answered Buffy with a much more proper reply to her question. "They're practical, convenient and rather pretty. That satisfy your question?"

Buffy couldn't help but grin. "I suppose."

"Slayer!" the lilting British-voice that was so distinctively Spike yelled out from the living room. "Come here for a second. And bring your tranny-friends with you."

The four of them walked into the living room where Logan had pulled out a nicely-sized circular table. Xander, Giles, Spike, Faith, and Willow were currently sitting around it. With the redhead laying out a variety of strange objects. The map of Seattle was the only thing that was familiar.

Alec motioned towards the table curiously. "What's with all the…"

"…thingies?" Buffy finished for him.

"Well, _I _wouldn't call them 'thingies', but yeah. What are they for?"

"Well, since Logan hadn't been able to trace this mystery man…or should I say – kidnapper? We decided to do a locator spell." Buffy explained.

"Spell?" Max echoed incredulously. "You mean, magic?"

"That's right," Xander nodded proudly. "You see, Willow's a witch. And darned good one, at that."

Willow blushed at her best friend's praise.

"Witch?" Max stared at Willow, in a way that made the redhead a tad bit uneasy. It was a calculating kind of look. It was as if she was gauging Willow's ability.

That was not to be a problem.

After all, she almost destroyed the world.

"Let's get started, shall we?" Giles interrupted them.

"Of course," Willow nodded nervously. She fingered the translucent crystal in her hands. A silver chain was attached to it, making it look like a simple, yet beautiful necklace. She smoothed out the map in front of her.

Buffy, Max, Alec, Sam, and Logan took their seats around the table and as soon as they had settled down, silence came upon them. Max watched in inquisitive fascination as Willow raised the silver chain over the map, the tiny gem dangling slowly. As if being blown by a slight breeze.

It was then that the immaculate silence was broken by soft murmuring. So soft that even those who had enhanced hearing had to strain what the young witch was saying. Max then realized that the whispers escaping Willow's lips were of a different language.

Her eyes widened when she suddenly saw the crystal move over the map in a steady motion. It was almost as if it was being pulled by some invisible force. All eyes were on the crystal, and they revealed astonishment as it came to a halt and dropped onto the surface of the map. It had found Dawn's location.

But that wasn't what surprised them.

"They're hiding her in a mental institution?" Buffy screeched.

Logan took a closer look, his eyebrows knit together in curiosity. "That's in sector thirteen." He looked up at them. "It's practically in the worst part of the city."

"Why would guys with cool cars and designer suits be hanging out in the bad part of town?" Faith asked with a frown.

"Answer's obvious." Max said. "They don't want to be found."

"Well, what the bloody hell are we waiting for?" Spike asked standing up and shrugging on his leather duster. "Let's get going before the sun decides to introduce itself to us again."

"Spike, its only nine." Buffy rolled her eyes. "We have plenty of time."

"Well, if there's one thing we know about time." Giles said wiping his glasses clean. "It passes swiftly."

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: Please, please, please, review!


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: And again – I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I love you all! Here's the next chapter…I guess you would recognize some of the parts as taken from the DA episode _"Love Among the Runes" _, but I changed a lot of stuff….anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Twelve_

The decrepitude and utter collapse of the dire part of the city wasn't what made its surroundings so abhorrently unpleasant. It was the miserable and overcast atmosphere that turned even the most cheerful person into a desolate wreck. The entire place was swarming with plunderers, beggars, and thieves. The air reeked of sweat, suffering, and even death.

But nothing compared to the town's main attraction: _the mental asylum_. It was dwarfed by many of the dilapidated buildings in the area, rising only at a mere eight feet…although there were rumors of floors underground. Shadows cast by a dim, yellowish light could often be seen through the barred windows.

Shadows of the demented…

"Stan my man! You should really check this out!" The young man who was dressed from head to toe in stained white clothing called out excitedly. He was also donning a straitjacket, which meant that he was one of those who had, let's just say -- an unsoundness of the mind.

His roommate took no heed of him. Stan, who was not only bound by a straitjacket, but gagged by a strip of cloth, simply stared at him inertly.

"Ah, never mind." The young man shook his head, and resumed his staring outside the barred windows. Below them, a strange ceremony was taking place…and above them, the sky was alit by a meteor shower…

"_Kon'ta ress!" _A woman covered with tattoos that held meanings no one knew about cried out exultantly. She was clad in robes the color of red wine, and these contrasted greatly to her abnormally bruise-colored skin.

A fire burned in the center of a ring of robed figures. One of the figures stepped out of the perfect circle. He was carrying a torch, and as he raised it to the sky, the rest followed suit.

"_Ken'da hiff!" _He exclaimed just as more shooting stars lit up the night.

"_Ken'da hiff!" _Everyone chanted back, their voices echoing hauntingly through the night. It was at that moment that a young woman in her late teens was brought into the middle of the circle. She was dressed in red, as well, the end of her robes swirling at her feet. Gagged and chained, she was tied to a steel pole near the blazing fire. Her sapphire blue eyes glimmered with terror as she watched the priestess open the wooden box next to her.

And pulled out a python.

The snake writhed in the priestess' grip as she raised it to the heavens. "_Adara mos rekali, konoss rehu jek_!" she whispered in her inhuman voice. The young man watched in fascination as the priestess passed the python around the circle and pulled out a long black dagger.

Murmuring the chant under her breath, she approached the bound woman and slowly ran the edge of the blade on her cheek. The young woman's eyes shimmered with both fear and pain as blood dripped from the cut. The priestess smiled and caught the droplets of crimson in a glass vial.

She then motioned to two men dressed in brown robes to take away the woman. The swiftly bandaged her bleeding cheek and carried her off to the darkness.

Back to her cage.

The young man shook his head in disbelief. "And they call us crazy." Ignoring the rest of the ceremony, he grabbed his trusty broken blade from his hiding place underneath the bed and broke the rest of the bars on his window. After several minutes of hard laboring, the bars finally broke free.

His dark gray eyes shone with mirth. "At last! Freedom!" he cried out in jubilation. He glanced at Stan one last time, patting him awkwardly on the shoulder. "I'm outta here, my dear friend. Take care, okay?"

And with that last goodbye, he jumped out of the window and disappeared into the night.

…

The mental institution was surrounded by a ten-foot high concrete fence, and on top of that, an additional two feet of concertina wire. The tarnished steel gate that led inside was tightly-shut. Two burly men dressed in black stood on either side of it. Strangely, none of them were carrying weapons.

Beyond the fence, they could clearly see the asylum that housed more than a hundred tormented souls.

Parked just outside the forbidding place, hidden behind an abandoned brick building, was a gray, nondescript van that had obviously seen better years. Within the said vehicles, sat members of Dawn's rescue team. All of which were staring in slight fascination and trepidation at the building in front of them.

The silence was broken by the cocking of a gun. Alec flashed them a lopsided grin as he attached silencers to his and Max's weapons. "Sorry to interrupt the staring session, but don't you think we should get going?"

"Right. Going." Buffy nodded, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that was slowly settling on her shoulders. "So Giles and Xander stay here and keep an eye on things." The two men nodded and positioned themselves in front of the bank of computers set up inside the van. Each and every one of them had minuscule cameras attached and concealed in their clothes, enabling Giles and Xander to see everything they would see inside the asylum.

"And the rest of us," she took a deep breath. "Goes in and faces all the big baddies."

There was a murmur of agreement and everyone prepared to exit the van.

"Good luck guys," Xander whispered, watching them go. "And if you guys need back-up. Just give us a shout. And it'll be your ol' pal Xander and the G-man to the rescue."

"I told you _not _to call me that!" Giles grit out through clenched teeth.

Xander grinned apologetically. "Sorry, G-man – I mean, Giles."

Buffy shook her head at her friend's antics and ushered everyone out of the vehicle, giving out some last minute instructions. A cool breeze blew past her the second she stepped onto the damp ground, and it took several moments for her eyes to get adjusted to the darkness. A half-moon shone dimly above, hanging in between two gray thunderclouds. The blinking stars were slowly disappearing behind more rain clouds.

It was peculiar, because just a few minutes ago, a meteor shower had graced the heavens. And in the blink of an eye, they seemed to vanish, to be replaced by an impending downpour.

Buffy glanced at the redheaded witch who was running alongside her. She too was gazing up at the sky above, studying them with curiosity. "What is it Wills?"

"I've never seen the weather this unusual," Willow murmured silently. She shut her eyes, even as she sprinted. Ahead of them, Buffy could see the rest moving like shadows. Especially Max, Alec and Sam. They moved like cats, making no sound, making no one aware of their presence. Behind them, Faith and Spike were talking in low voices, discussing the recent events.

Willow opened her eyes and turned to look at Buffy. Her emerald green gaze was overcast with anxiety and deep apprehension. Buffy's skin prickled as another cold breeze blew past them. "I don't like the feeling of this, Buffy. The aura this place is giving out – its giving me the creeps."

"Well, to think that – that place is filled with skewed minds…" Buffy shuddered. "A life gone awry. Its horrible."

Willow nodded, and they spent the next few minutes in silence. They skidded to a stop behind a large dumpster and peered around the edge, keenly observing the two guards that were currently on sentry. "I see the cameras," Sam informed them, her gaze trained on somewhere near the gates that none of the others could see, save for maybe Max and Alec.

"Yeah, I see them too." Max agreed. "So, let's do this. Alec and I will take care of those two gorillas, and Sam takes care of the cams. That cool?"

"What about us?" Spike asked, a bit miffed. "Don't we get to join in?"

"You're too slow. The cameras will see you." Alec said.

Spike sputtered out a string of obscenities. The three X5s ignored him, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished.

"Woah! They're fast." Faith whistled, impressed.

Buffy could only agree. She watched in mild fascination as the three of them finally made an appearance at the gates. Sam swiftly worked on the cameras, looping them with the film that Xander and Giles had ingeniously made. With that done, Max and Alec made quick work on the two guards who instantly fell to the ground with not more than a mere thud.

Sam turned to their hiding place and gave them a thumbs up.

"That's our cue," Buffy told her companions. "Let's go."

…

To be Continued… 

…

A/N: REVIEW!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten about this fic. Things just got a little busy for the past few months. So anyway…here's an update. Hope you guys still hang on. More will be coming. Promise. Oh, and by the way. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! )

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Thirteen_

The entrance hall of the mental asylum was eerily empty. No guards. No surveillance cameras. No furnishings of any sort. The walls were a dull gray, and a grimy light-bulb flickered dimly above them. It was almost as if it had been abandoned. That last thought instantly evaporated when hysteric laughter reverberated somewhere above them. This was shortly followed by gloomy, dismal weeping.

She shivered.

She had to remind herself that they were inside a mental hospital. The refuge of those who had been driven into madness. The whole place was doubtless crawling with them. And appending to that, a breed of people totally unknown to them…

Her thoughts snapped back to Dawn. Fortunately, they had not seen any portals opening in the skies – yet. And almost immediately, images of the past came rushing into her head.

_Opening portals. _

_Dawn's blood. _

Her _blood. _

_Death._

_Death is my gift…_

She froze in her tracks, suddenly realizing that if Dawn's captors succeeded in opening the portals before she and her friends could get to her in time, she may just have to die – again.

For the third time.

"_Death is your gift…" _

Death wasn't a gift.

It was a curse.

Because if death was supposed to bring you straight to heaven – to sanctuary, how come she was still standing here? Alive. Fighting. Never resting.

Ah, because her friends loved her so much that they decided to take her away from her peace and pull her back into the land of the living. Where she could not avoid her destiny. Her destiny to fight evil.

If she died again – would they do that to her for a second time?

She didn't think so.

She had a feeling that if she _did _die again, they wouldn't haul her out of heaven. They'd leave her for dead.

And somehow, Buffy found that very soothing.

_Death is my gift. _

…

A few minutes ago, the sky had been a blanket of black, adorned by shooting specks of gold and silver. But as the last of the ceremony's haunting chants was carried away by the wind, the sky once again retreated to its dismal darkness, thus concluding the fact to those who took time to look up at the heavens that something utterly bizarre was happening.

Ames White watched in silence as the circle of Familiars disbanded. The priestesses vanished into a slightly smaller building beside the institution – where the Key was being held imprisoned. He clenched his teeth as flashes of the conversation he held with the Cult's leaders earlier that night echoed through his head.

…

'_Hell will break lose once her blood will be spilled.'_

…

'_Eradication of the human race is our primary motive.'_

…

'_We are protected by the gods. No amount of harm shall come upon our family.'_

…

'_The ritual will take place at midnight.'_

…

'…_And impurity shall no longer exist in this world.'_

…

_No amount of harm shall come upon our family. _White mocked in his head. _We are protected by the gods. _An angry scowl marred his sharp features. _Fuck the gods. _This was swiftly followed by a string of obscenities. He found it impossible to believe that their race would survive such an apocalypse. Exactly how many dimensions were there? And what _exactly _will be coming out of those hell dimensions?

Hell gods, supernatural beings, evil forces, creatures of the night…

As far as _he _was concerned, there was _no _possible way that the ritual will take place tonight.

He valued his life too damned much.

…

_Eleven o'clock. _

_One more hour till midnight. _Buffy thought with a shiver as she peered through the dusty blinds that curtained the window. The chanting had ceased, and the assemblage of robed figures had seated themselves on the ground, maintaining their perfect circle, heads bowed. Everything was silent. All that could be heard was the sharp crackling of the fire and the faint echo of voices from above – from the residents of the mental asylum.

She wondered what was going on inside the little shack where her younger sister was held captive. She had seen the priestesses walk into the small building and prayed that she was okay.

"Remind me why we can't just jump into the action, kill them all, and get Dawn?" Faith asked impatiently. She hadn't stopped pacing since they had stumbled upon the unused storage room that proved to be the perfect hiding place, given they had a good view of everything happening outside and they could avoid the risk of being seen – while waiting.

"There's too many of them," Sam replied. "And we don't know if their armed or not."

"Oh come on, we can take them! We've got two slayers, one witch, one vampire, and three killing machines. What's a bunch of snake-loving freaks gonna do to us?"

"Well for one thing, the second they see us, they're gonna alert the priestesses. And since they have already taken some of Dawn's blood. They won't need her anymore. So they'll kill her." Max answered bluntly.

The brunette Slayer sighed and plopped down on a dusty armchair. "Good point. I'm just getting restless from sitting around and waiting."

"Waiting's over" Buffy said. "They're leaving."

Faith went to stand next to her and look out the window, watching the cloaked figures stand up and make their way into a slightly larger building than the one Dawn was being kept in. "Finally. Let's go get Dawn 'the-awesome-mystical-key' and get the hell out of here."

They slid out of the building soundlessly, moving as swiftly as they could across the grounds and towards the shack that was Dawn's prison. Amazingly, the door was unlocked. Apparently, they weren't expecting any visitors that night. Buffy was about to enter when a hand stopped her.

It was Alec. His hazel-green eyes shone brightly in the darkness – like a cat's. "Someone's watching."

And indeed, the back of her neck started to tingle.

Spike cursed under his breath, and motioned towards the rooftop of the building where a lone figure stood. Even with their enhanced eyesight, they couldn't make out the face of their observer. It was covered by the darkness.

"Why isn't he setting off the alarms?" Willow asked, confused.

"I don't know. But we're already here and there's no use backing out now." Max said and kicked the door open, surprising the occupants inside. There were three women and five armed guards. But Buffy barely took heed of them, her gaze was locked on the far side of the room where her baby sister was slumped on the floor unconscious.

"Dawn!" She shouted and pushed through the sudden fight that had erupted.

The transgenics had successfully disarmed the guards and had proceeded to beat the shit out of them with a little help from Faith and Spike while the three priestesses stared at Willow with unabashed scrutiny. It was evident that they could sense the magic radiating off of her, and were intrigued, if not frightened.

"_Witch,_" One of them muttered under her breath, glaring at Willow.

"A descendant of Merlin perhaps?" The leader mocked, unperturbed by the sudden change in Willow's beautiful green eyes. "You think you can match the magic that runs through our veins? Our bloodline has been around for centuries, and we have honed our powers well. You are no match for us."

And with that, Willow was flung against the wall.

Seeing this, Buffy charged towards the priestess, face set in an angry scowl. But she too was flung against the wall. The others, could only watch helplessly. The guards weren't showing any sign of backing down, and they barely stumbled from the powerful kicks and punches that the five of them were throwing. And you know how hard those five could hit. Especially Max.

The priestesses saw this and they smiled. "May I introduce to you the Phalanx. They are the best of the best – the elite of our warrior breeding line, the tip of the spear. There is no use in fighting against them."

"Yes there is," Max bit back, pulling out her pistol. And without further ado, terminated her opponent. Alec followed suit, while the rest pinned their enemies to the ground and allowed the two X5s to kill them.

The priestesses, overwhelmed with shock, failed to notice Willow walking slowly towards them, her eyes as black as the night, mouth murmuring Latin under her breath. And before the priestesses knew it, they were surrounded by a ring of fire, and found themselves unable to move.

Willow whispered another incantation, and they all watched as the vial filled with Dawn's blood floated out of the priestess' pocket and towards Buffy. She took it immediately and pocketed it. Looking away, she gave the two X5s a brief nod. Despite the fact that these were evil people about to destroy the world, they were still humans.

"Time to end this." Max said, aiming her gun at them. Alec stood next to her in a similar position. And everyone caught a glimpse of the soldiers that they were.

…

The sound of gunshots pierced the night.

Ames White smiled with mild amusement as he watched the flames from within the shack die out, along with eight of its former occupants. The Key's rescuers emerged from the doors and soon disappeared into the mental institution and shortly exited it, quickly escaping the foreboding place.

As a loyal member of the Cult, White knew that he should've sounded the alarms, informing their fellow brothers and sisters that their beloved priestesses were currently being murdered. But as a sneaky, conniving Familiar, he preferred to watch them die.

Now he was free to do as he wished.

…

_To be continued…_

…

A/N: Please Review.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Hope you like this chapter. M/A all the way. )

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Fourteen_

Somewhere near Foggle Towers, a man stood hidden by the shadows, watching one of the windows of the luxurious apartment. He had seen them – seen them kill the priestesses. And he was intrigued by the twins and one of the males. He had been hiding behind the bushes, observing them. They fought with inconceivable skill and strength. They moved with the silence and agility of cats.

Watching them, they made him remember his father, and his dreams to create the perfect being.

"Where are you dad?" he whispered to the night.

He blinked as one of the twins came to stand by the window, looking down below, her head moving slowly, as if she was searching for something. It was almost as if she had heard him.

"Do you know where he is?" he asked, staring at her.

"Who?"

Startled, he spun around, fists raised feebly.

What he saw made him stumble backwards.

"Don't be afraid." A strong hand grabbed hold of his arm and held him upright. He then found himself staring at a seven-foot tall man, with a face resembling a – dog. And realization dawned on him.

"I remember you," he said to the transhuman in recognition. "You're the first."

The dog-man smiled, baring all of his sharp yellow teeth. "That's right. Joshua special. Joshua first."

"Nice to meet you Joshua. I'm CJ. And I guess you could say we're sort of related."

"Related?" he echoed. And then nodded slowly. "You're an X-series. One of them." He pointed towards the window he had been watching for the past few minutes.

CJ stared at him, wondering if he should tell him the truth. That he wasn't a transgenic. That he was Sandeman's youngest son. _Now isn't the right time. _He thought, following Joshua's gaze towards the window. _If they find out…_His thoughts trailed off. He didn't want to be locked up in a dusty old cell with a crazy person anymore. He relished the fresh air…the taste of freedom.

And _they _thought they were prisoners. He said to himself, looking at Joshua. _I'm the prisoner. _

"So Joshua. You know that girl?"

Joshua once again graced him with a sharp-toothed smile. "Max."

"Max." CJ thought for a minute. _Doesn't ring a bell. _"Okay. So, where do you live Joshua?"

"Transgenic Central – Terminal City."

…

"Argh! Can you _please _stop fussing over me? I'm FINE!" Dawn exclaimed with a huff. "It was just a scratch. No biggie."

Max sighed. After their successful rescue mission, they had all retreated back to Foggle Towers, where they had left Logan to find out all that he could about the freaky priestesses and their freaky rituals. It was obvious that they were part of some ancient cult. But how dangerous were they exactly? They needed to know, because it was certain that those people would soon be on the hunt for vengeance.

"Hey guys, you want something to eat?" Xander called from the kitchen were he was helping himself to some leftover chicken and pasta. "Because I swear, that whole incident was rather tiring."

Faith snorted. "Yeah right. All you did was sit in a stinky van with the G-man." She thought for a minute. "On second thought, yeah, that could be pretty tiring."

Giles glared at her.

"Just kidding G-man. Hey Xander, hold up. Leave some for me!" Faith bolted into the kitchen.

"Me too. I'm starved." Willow muttered, making her way towards the kitchen at a much slower pace.

"I'm going to go and check up on Dawn, see if she's alright." Giles said with an exasperated sigh. The two Summers sisters had been arguing for about fifteen minutes already with a little help from Spike who had been giving comments here and there, and it was starting to get on everyone's nerves.

Sam was in the computer room with Logan, trying to see if he had anything regarding her lost brothers and sisters. If they were still alive.

Which left Max and Alec alone in the living room.

"Hey Maxie, you alright?" Alec asked from the couch. He had taken over the couch the moment they had arrived in Logan's penthouse. She glanced at him from her spot near the window. His feet were propped up the coffee table, with his hands behind his head, and he had that annoying smirk on his face. "Because if you aren't, I know something that could make you feel a _whole _lot better."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

His eyes glimmered with mischief. "Really. C'mere."

She rolled here eyes and approached him. The minute she neared him, she was grabbed by the arms and thrown on the sofa where she was attacked by a barrage of tickles. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Stop it Alec! Stop it!" That was it. She burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "I." _Laughter. _"Swear I'm." _More laughter. _"Going to." _Even more laughter. _"KILL YOU!"

Alec raised his arms in defeat. "Alright, alright. I was just playing." He grinned at her.

Despite herself, she smiled. "My turn." She said gesturing for him to sit on the floor. He shrugged and did as told, seating himself between her legs. She placed her hands on his shoulders and began to massage them.

"That feels great," he murmured, his eyes fluttering shut.

She couldn't help it. He looked so – angelic.

So she leaned over and kissed him.

…

_What the…? Is this a dream? _He wondered to himself, feeling warm lips on his, urging them to open. Her tongue came to run over his lower lip. _Oh god. This isn't a dream. Max is kissing me. _He felt himself smile before responding to her almost immediately. _This is WAY better than a dream. _He slowly turned himself around and grabbed Max by the waist, pulling her closer.

Heat radiated between the two of them. Unconsciously, she began to run her fingers through his hair, and she was surprised how soft they were, almost as soft as his lips…

"Oh. My. God."

Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other.

Faith was standing in the doorway looking rather pleased with herself. "I knew it!" She crowed triumphantly. "Spike! Get your scrawny ass over here!"

The bleached blonde vampire came strolling into the living room. "What?" he asked Faith. She grinned smugly at him and motioned towards the couple sitting on the couch. He frowned. "_I _didn't see anything! You could be lying!"

"It did too happen!" Faith insisted. "You owe me fifty bucks!"

Spike looked at her disbelievingly.

"You bet on us?" Max asked incredulously.

"That's right. I told Spike that by the end of this day, Alec would be dragging Max on his bed…" She paused. "Or maybe the other way around…?" She grinned impishly at them.

"I've got no proof!" Spike protested, hanging onto his fifty bucks.

"Come on guys! Help me with this!" Faith pleaded. "Show 'him. Show him I won!"

Alec shrugged and pulled Max towards him and kissed her. Unable to resist, she answered back, almost forgetting that they weren't alone in the room anymore.

"Ha! Fifty bucks buddy!"

Spike growled and handed her the money. "Pillock. Thought it would take at least two days."

…

Max woke up the next morning to find a pair of arms wrapped around her, along with a very warm, very naked body pressed up against her. It took her a few seconds to recall everything that had happened last night. For years of being together at Manticore, it was only now that they were able to finally accept the truth. It wasn't heat. It wasn't infatuation. It was love. And maybe that was the main reason on why they were so scared to tell each other that in the first place. Or maybe it was simply because they had been locked up in Manticore. It would've been fatal to fall in love with each other.

She smiled softly at the sleeping transgenic. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Probably sensing her gaze, he stirred, eyes fluttering open. He grinned at her. "Morning sunshine." He yawned and stretched lithely beneath the sheets. He looked at her. "So what's up for today?"

"Work." Max answered, reluctantly climbing out of bed. She winced as her feet touched the cold floor. She was about to put on her clothes when Alec's hand stopped her. She twisted around and smirked. "What? You want another round?"

Alec didn't seem to hear her. He slowly ran his fingers across her shoulder blades, pushing away stray locks of hair. "Did you get a tattoo Maxie?"

"A tattoo?" she echoed, puzzled. "Why would I get a tattoo?"

He gently rubbed a spot on her shoulder. "It won't come off." He murmured, more to himself than to her.

"What won't come off?" she asked, getting bewildered by the minute.

"I think you'd better look in the mirror, Maxie."

She frowned at him, and went to stand in front of the floor-length mirror in her room. She turned around and gazed at her reflection on the mirror. She gasped. "_What the hell?"_

Alec went to stand next to her, observing the inky-black imprints on her skin. "They're made up of the same shit as our barcodes. And it happens to be in ancient Minoan." He noted. "Too bad Manticore didn't teach me that stuff."

She was starting to get worried. "Do you think this could be a message from him?"

"You mean from Sandeman?" Alec asked, looking doubtful. "The one Joshua kept on going about back at Manticore?"

"Yeah." Max nodded. "Maybe he's trying to tell us something."

Alec stared at her reflection on the mirror. "And the million-dollar question is: what?"

…

"Something happened." Were the first words out of Original Cindy's mouth the moment the two transgenics walked into Jam Pony. They exchanged a confused glance.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, ignoring Normal's incessant 'bips'.

"You two are lookin' bubbly this morning," OC said with a knowing look. "Either you two were up making love to one another the entire night, or you just won the lottery."

Max blushed.

Alec grinned.

OC laughed. "I'm thinking it ain't the latter one." She tapped Alec's cheek rather fondly. "You are one lucky man. Don't mess this one up."

"Oh I won't." Alec replied, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulder. Her lips slowly twitched into a smile. Unfortunately, Normal saw them.

"If you cellar rats want to get paid then you'd better start deliver these packages!" Normal shouted. "Now bip!"

"Catch ya later?" Alec asked Max.

"Yeah. I was thinking we'd drop by Logan's. Maybe he knows something about my – tattoos." Alec nodded and caught her lips in a brief kiss before dashing away to do Normal's bidding. Max followed a bit more reluctantly. As much as she loved getting free sector passes, she was wondering if it was worth spending all day delivering packages to cranky old ladies.

…

Logan was awakened to the sound of relentless knocking. Stifling a yawn, he hurriedly changed into a pair of jeans and a sweater, and went to answer the door. To his surprise, it was Buffy.

"Hey Logan. Hope I didn't wake you." She said, making her way in without waiting for an invitation. Logan sighed and followed her towards the living room where she picked up a purse.

"I forgot this last night," she said holding it up. "Guess I got caught up in the excitement."

"Yeah, it was pretty exhilarating." He agreed. "So um, do you want some coffee or something?"

"Nah, I just had breakfast." She said. "But thanks anyway."

"I'd like some."

The two of them spun around to see Alec and Max standing a few feet behind them. Both were carrying messenger bags, and wearing identical unreadable expressions.

"Hey guys," Buffy greeted them amicably. "Thanks again for all your help, by the way. Guess we owe you one."

Max waved it off dismissively. "It was nothing."

"Yeah, compare it to the crap we've been made to do. It was a piece of cake." Alec piped up, making himself comfortable on Logan's couch.

"You guys cutting work again?" Logan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's for a good reason." Alec said with a smirk. "I mean, we came to see you, didn't we?"

Logan sighed. "What do you want?"

"We were just wondering if you know ancient Minoan." Max said, removing her messenger bag. Then she removed her jacket. Then she started to remove her shirt.

"Woah! Max, what are you doing?" Logan asked, alarmed.

"Thought you'd like the free show," Alec said grinning. He received scowls from both Max and Logan. Buffy on the other hand looked curious.

"Ancient Minoan?" She asked. "Giles knows ancient Minoan."

"The G-man knows ancient Minoan?"

"He doesn't like to be called G-man," Buffy stated unconsciously.

"Wait, wait. Why do you want to know about ancient Minoan?" Logan asked incredulously.

"Because ancient Minoan started appearing on Max's back for some bizarre reason." Alec informed them.

"Oh, so that's why she wanted to take off her shirt." Logan said in realization.

"You're a smart one, aren't you? You really didn't think that she was going to give you a free show did you? Because all those are just supposed to be reserved for me…"

"Shut up Alec." Max turned to Buffy. "Can we drop by your place later tonight?"

"Sure, no problem. We owe you one, remember?"

…

_To be continued…_

…

A/N: Please review. )


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you enjoy this one.

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Fifteen_

Later that night, a shadow lurked inside Max's apartment. And just outside her apartment door, Max herself prepared to enter, unaware of whatever waited within.

Original Cindy had invited her to go to Crash that night, but she had declined, knowing full well that she and Alec had some business to attend to at Buffy's place. They needed to get the weird tattoos translated. Pronto. Who knows what message was being sent to her by Sandeman? The one who created them all.

Speaking of Alec…_I wonder where he is. _She thought to herself. He had left work earlier that day saying he needed to take care of a few things, and that he'd meet her later that night. Max shrugged and pulled open the door to their apartment and wasn't at all that surprised to find the all the lights turned off. OC had already went to Crash, and it wasn't like Alec had arrived yet. She switched them on, even though she really didn't need the light to see. Night vision and all that.

Guess it made her feel a tad bit more human.

She shut the door quietly behind her and made her way into the living room.

And then she screamed.

In the middle of the apartment was a gorgeous black motorcycle. A Ninja if she wasn't mistaken. And on top of that, was a gorgeous X5 straddling the bike.

"Surprise Maxie."

"Oh my god, Alec. Is that for me?" She clapped a hand over her mouth. Sometimes, Alec really surprised her. He nodded and hopped off of it and motioned for her to come closer. She did so without further hesitation and climbed onto the motorcycle. "This. Is. Amazing." She turned to look at Alec. He was grinning. "You are so sweet, you know that?"

"Yeah well. I figured you weren't the flowers kind of girl." She laughed and pulled him in for a quick kiss before ordering him to climb up behind her. He did as told and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So how the hell are we gonna make it down the stairs?" she asked.

"I don't know. Jump it?"

"We'll try." Max smirked.

Minutes later, they were out on the open road, with Max going as fast as she dared herself to. She criss-crossed around speeding cars, enjoying the adrenaline that coursed through her. It was bracing to know that one wrong move could lead them to their very deaths. Goes to show how much X5s love taking risks. Makes them feel alive.

They arrived at the Slayer's apartment too soon for Max's liking and Alec couldn't help but be amused at her immediate attachment to her new 'baby' as she called it. Made him almost jealous. Almost. Besides, his words of: 'no one can ride you like I can' made Max remember that her one and only baby would have to be Alec.

"Hey, I just remembered something." He told her as they waited patiently for the elevator to reach the seventh floor.

"What?"

"Do you think this weird message has something to do with what Renfro kept telling you before Manticore blew up?"

Max froze in her place as the flashback hit her once again. "That I'm the 'one' they've been looking for? I don't know. Possibly. She did mention Sandeman's name."

The elevator dinged and they made a beeline for Buffy's pad. She greeted them at the door and invited them in. It was nice place. Large enough for all of them. Almost like a real house. Dawn and Xander were seated at a comfy looking couch in the living room. They were watching some old black and white flicks. Spike was out on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and looking down at the people below them. Willow was in the kitchen making popcorn and Giles was presumably in his office. Which left…

"Where's Faith?" Max asked, noticing her absence.

"Oh, she's in the training room." Buffy replied.

"You have a training room?" Alec asked, impressed.

"Slayers remember?" Buffy gestured to a close door next to the kitchen. "Can't slack off where we're concerned. You guys wanna check it out?"

"Okay."

She pulled open the door and led them inside. Alec whistled at the amount of weapons displayed on the shelves. They were old-fashioned ones, akin to the ones they had brought with them the night of Dawn's rescue. Swords, axes, daggers, crossbows, arrows, and even shields. "Where do you get all of this stuff?"

"Long story. Long career." Buffy rolled her eyes.

The whole left wall of the training room was covered with mirrors. And the right side of the room was lined with a couple of punching bags. One of which was being furiously beaten by Faith. "Hey guys." She called out cheerfully to them. She gave it one last punch before joining them. "What's up?"

"We need some of Giles' help for some um, translations." Max said.

"G-man knows everything." Faith shrugged. "So, maybe you guys would like to spar sometime."

"Spar?" Alec echoed. "You want to spar with us? That would be suicide"

"Wow, you're a humble one aren't you?" Faith asked sarcastically. "And don't you dare underestimate me and B. You might just end up getting your ass kicked."

"We're genetically enhanced killing machines. Nothing could top that." Alec said smugly.

"Yeah right. Bet ya fifty bucks your gonna lose to me." Faith replied, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

"Mind you. Faith _always _wins bets." Buffy said shaking her head. "Don't know how she does it."

"I can see that." Max said recalling the night before.

"Well she's going to lose this one." Alec smirked.

Max rolled her eyes. "Maybe next time, pretty boy. We didn't come here to make bets. Or did you forget?"

"Just playing Maxie." Alec sighed before allowing himself to be dragged out of the room towards Giles office.

…

"Interesting," Giles murmured, more to himself than to them. They were in Giles' office. A brightly-lit room filled with numerous bookshelves that contained hundreds of dust-covered books. His desk sat just in front of a large window, and it was currently cluttered with pens and pieces of paper. A computer sat in the middle of the untidiness, the light from the monitor reflecting off the Watcher's eyeglasses.

Alec had taken pictures of the peculiar marks on Max's back and they were now currently being assessed by the former Sunnydale High librarian. The two transgenics were seated opposite each other on two chairs in front of the desk, while Buffy listened in curiously from her spot on the couch.

"Can you understand it?" Max asked leaning over to take a look at the glossy photos.

Giles frowned. "Not quite. By they are rather familiar. I'm quite sure that I have come across them some time during my past researches. I have several books that contains Ancient Minoan language – it wouldn't take too along to translate. Possibly a few days. Or perhaps a week."

"That's okay," Max shrugged. "It's not like its been giving me any trouble."

"They just started appearing, huh?" Buffy asked.

Max nodded.

"You didn't happen to drink something, eat something, come in contact with anyone…?" Giles asked, making his way towards the many bookshelves that lined his wall.

"No one but Alec." She said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. Alec grinned and winked at Giles.

"Oh erm, I don't think that could be the reason." Giles said frowning at the male X5. He pulled out several dusty old books from their places on the shelf and dropped them on his desk with a loud thud. Dust began to fly everywhere.

Buffy wrinkled her nose. "Have you ever heard of the word 'cleaning', Giles?"

"As you very well know, Buffy. I don't have time for 'cleaning'." He glared at her.

"I was just kidding," Buffy rolled her eyes.

Giles ignored her. "Max, do you mind if I take a picture of your barcode?"

The two transgenics exchanged a look. It was obvious they were talking to each other, you could see from the way their lips moved. Unfortunately for Giles, he didn't have enhanced hearing. He glanced at Buffy to see if she heard anything. There was a curious look on her face, and she looked rather bewildered. It seemed that she barely heard anything either. Giles had to remind himself that these two were designed to be practically perfect.

"No problem. I'm sure we can trust you." Max said with a shrug, lifting up her long dark hair. The barcode stood out startlingly against her skin. It was even darker than the bizarre imprints on her back. Giles suppressed a shiver. _How can they be so cruel? To mark these people as if they were mere objects? _He shook his head and snapped the picture.

Thinking about this, he could only recall the time when Buffy was forced to face danger by the Watcher's Council, when she was stripped of all her powers. A mere mortal girl versus a dangerous monster?

Giles had to accept the fact that some people were born evil.

…

When they arrived back at the apartment, they were astonished to find Original Cindy sitting in the living room, an angry expression on her face. She had apparently been waiting for them.

"OC? Are you okay?" Max asked tentatively.

Alec stared at her. "What's going on? You look like you're about to explode."

"Nice observation, pretty boy." OC snapped. "You had a visitor earlier."

Max paled. "A visitor? Who?" All sorts of thoughts started appearing in her head. She knew that she might just be simply jumping to conclusions, but when you're a genetically-engineered supersoldier that had been born and bred in a place called Manticore, you had to be very, very cautious.

"Someone who nearly gave me a heart attack." The African-American woman said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Someone who looked exactly like _you._"

Max relaxed. "Oh, you mean my twin sister – Sam."

"That's right. Sam. Or should I call her 453?"

And again, she turned white. Even Alec started to look worried. "She told you?"

"She thought I knew. So she started rambling on and on about how she found this safe haven for transgenics – some place where Manticore wouldn't be able to find you. She told me to tell you when you people arrived."

"Oh my god. OC, I'm sorry -- "

"I can't believe you would lie to me!" She exclaimed. "Making up all those stories about how you grew up in a farm…that's just sick. Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?"

"Because we barely you knew you when we moved in with you OC," Alec answered. "You have to understand. We couldn't trust just anyone. That would be suicide. One small leak…and we'd be dead. The government is hunting us down. There's a reason for us to be very careful when it comes things like trust."

OC softened. "I guess I was just shocked."

"No worries, OC." Max smiled softly. "We got your back."

"And I got yours." She smiled back.

"So what'd Sam say?"

"Exactly what I just told you. Some safe haven of sorts." OC shrugged. "She gave me her cell number. All you guys have to do is contact her."

"Safe haven, huh?" OC gave her the number. Max stared at the digits on the paper before grabbing Alec's cell and dialing the number. It rang three times before Sam picked up.

_ Hey, who's this?> _

"Hey Sam, it's Max."

_ Good to hear from you. Listen, there's this place called Terminal City. You guys should check it out. I mean, its like transgenic central. Xs and nomalies swarming all over the place.> _

"How'd you find it?"

_ Now that's the funny part. Some X5 thought I was you. He told me all about it. His designation was 548. You know him? >_

Alec broke into a grin. "548. I know him alright. We were partners on the Volkovitch job in Kezmekistan." He smirked. "The off-hours were definitely the highlight of that mission."

Max swatted at him, a disgusted look on her face. "I don't even want to know."

_What was that? _

"Oh nothing, so can you give us the address?"

Sam quickly gave them the address before saying goodbye. The two transgenics then decided to check it out the next morning. It had been a long day, and they needed to catch up on some rest – and possibly more than that.

…

_To be continued…_

…

A/N: Please review. )


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I appreciate them. Anyway, I think I made a mistake in the last chapter regarding Biggs' designation number. I think its 510. And I know I haven't included much B/S in the fic right now. But don't worry – it's coming. Anyways, hope you enjoy this one.

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Sixteen_

Ames White had been pacing in his office for some time now, occasionally knocking off some random object, enjoying the noise it made as it crashed onto the floor. It was becoming almost completely impossible to locate even one, _one _transgenic. Given the fact that the X5s and X6s looked exactly like normal human beings, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. And the non-human transgenics had enough sense in them to go into hiding.

White only wished that he knew where they were hiding. It would be one bloody feast for him. These transgenics were an insult to nature, and most especially to _them_ – to his family.

And to make things worse, there had been no sightings of X5-452. And that was making him very, very angry. Suffice to say, he was not a patient man, and when he wanted something, he wanted it immediately.

A knock sounded on his door.

"What?" he barked. He was starting feel a headache coming on.

A nervous-looking computer-tech poked his head into the room. "Agent Gottlieb has something to show you, sir."

White didn't answer, but pushed the tech rudely aside before making his way into a slightly smaller room. "This had better be good Otto." He muttered to himself, slamming the door shut behind him.

The room was painted a dull gray, and it was completely vacant save for a large metal table that stood in the middle of the room. Various computer equipment were on the table, and another computer tech was busily typing things on the keyboard, his fingers moving at a rapid pace. Otto stood beside him, and looked up the moment White entered the room. "Good morning sir."

He did not return the greeting, but went to stand next to Otto and the tech. "What am I looking at here?"

"Thermal imager. Fifth generation. Very high sensitivity." Otto replied, gesturing to the screen.

"And I should care about this because…?" White trailed off impatiently..

"Hey Jack, bring him in here!" Otto yelled behind his shoulder. The door opened and a guard walked in with an X5 chained and evidently drugged. White stared at him, feeling his headache starting to recede.

The guard positioned the transgenic in front of the thermal imager. Otto motioned towards the computer. "Take a look." He pointed at the X5's image on the screen. "See how the image is whiter? That's because the X-series run an average basal body temperature of 101.8 degrees, which is three degrees higher than a normal human being. Scan the crowd with the thermal gating set at, say, a hundred…"

For the first time in weeks, White smiled. "It picks out transgenics." He clapped Otto on the back. "Otto my friend, you have earned your pay this week. Requisition as many of these as you can, and get them out in the field ASAP."

"Very good sir."

…

It seemed that the news about Terminal City had spread pretty quickly among all those who had gone into hiding within the city of Seattle and its neighboring cities because as Sam had put it – it was supposed to be swarming with transgenics. Max and Alec had once again cut work to see this place – the 'safe haven' that her twin had told them about. But as far as transgenics were concerned, Max doubted that there would ever _be _a safe place for them to live in. Not until the world accepted them for what they were and stopped hunting them down.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Alec asked, glancing around dubiously. "Not exactly 'swarming' with transgenics now is it?"

They had stopped in front of what used to be a toxic waste dump. A rusty metal fence that stood about eight feet high surrounded the whole place, and they were adorned with numerous signs telling people to 'keep out', and warning them: 'DANGER: BIOHAZARD.' Behind the fence seemed only darkness.

The metal gate was locked and chained up. They could have easily scaled the eight foot high fence, but it was broad daylight and people were milling around, going about their daily lives. If they were seen…she didn't even dare finish that thought.

"Maybe we should try going around?" Alec suggested.

Not knowing what else to do, she agreed. They went around, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention. It already seemed bizarre enough that they were wandering around near an old abandoned waste dump. They finally made it to the back part, which was nothing more than an empty alley.

"Do you think Sam tricked us?" Alec asked.

"I don't think so," Max shook her head.

And that was when they heard it.

Guns cocking all around.

They were surrounded.

…

"Don't move."

Slowly, figures started to emerge from the shadows. _Nomalies. _Max thought startled as they came into their view. For years of living in Manticore, she had heard stories about them, seen glimpses of them. But she had never seen one up close. Except for Joshua of course. But he was different. He was like a child looking for his father.

These, however…Max stared at them, unnerved at their un-human faces. Their skins were akin to that of animals. Their eyes predatory. They were a far cry from the X5s who were perfect. Flawless. Beautiful. Alec glanced at her, his eyes telling her that they could take them. There were five of them. Five nomalies versus two X5s? Piece of cake. They spent most of their lives locked up behind bars in the dark basements of Manticore, while the X5s spent every single second in training. They were trained to become assassins.

But that wasn't what they were here for. Terminal City might just become their future home. Because admittedly, these nomalies were their family too. They were products of Manticore. They had been tortured just like them. They knew what it was like to be hunted. And it was the world against them.

"Woah, guys, slow down, will ya?" Alec said raising his hands to show that he was unarmed. "We're one of you." He turned around and showed them his barcode, Max did the same.

"No you're not." The one who resembled a lizard said gruffly. A cigar hung between his lips. "You're X5. We're the 'freaks'. You don't belong with us. Head on over to Oak Street with your kind." To their relief, they lowered their weapons.

"Don't belong?" Max echoed, appalled. Apparently, the other X5s weren't too friendly with the 'freaks', which was just wrong. "What are you talking about? Your just like us. Manticore-made."

The one with the eye-patch snorted. "Yeah right. Everyone sticks with their own kind. Xs with Xs, freaks with freaks."

"Max!" an all-too familiar voice exclaimed jubilantly from behind them.

"Joshua!" Max's face broke into a smile. She ran to hug him, ignoring the bewildered looks Joshua's brethren were giving them. "I'm so glad you're alive! I was so worried about you."

"Me too, Little Fella."

"Well, I guess that explains it." The one who had floppy ears said. "Care to invite them in Joshua?"

The lizard-man glared at him. "The hell he would!"

"Come on Mole, their different from the others." Eye-patch guy chided. "They actually seem kinda – nice."

Alec nodded. "That's what we are. Your all around nice guys."

Mole conceded. "Fine. But if they cause any trouble, I'll be dragging their asses off to Oak Street."

…

"Giles!" Buffy's voice cried to him from outside his office. This was directly followed by several loud knocks. "Lunch! And if you want some of that chicken, you'd better come quick coz' Xander's eating it all up!"

"I'm coming!" he yelled back as he gently massaged his throbbing temples. He had gone to bed at almost three in the morning and had risen at about six. Three hours of sleep. Not bad. He was used to it. Comes with the job description of being a Watcher. But for the first time, he hadn't gone to bed late because of Slayer business. He had gone to bed late because he had been caught up in translating Max's runic messages.

Being a Watcher, Giles was rather familiar with prophecies. And he knew one when he saw one. No doubt about it. He was always right.

He had just finished the translation. And the result intrigued him. It was just as fascinating as the prophecy about: 'one girl in all the world is chosen to fight evil, blah, blah, blah…'

Now this one, this one was unusual. Minoan language was rather difficult to translate, and the symbols had multiple meanings. But Giles, being Giles had learned the gist of it.

'_When the shroud of death covers the face of the earth, the one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless.'_

And who exactly was this supposed to be? He, of course, had no idea. He was simply the translator. He had no business interfering in Max's world.

But if it concerned some sort apocalypse. There was not a doubt in the world that Buffy and her team would be there to lend a helping hand.

Giles sighed as he heard Buffy yelling for him again. He slipped the piece of paper that held the translation into his desk drawer and locked it, deciding to call Max after lunch.

…

After introductions had been made, Luke, a trench digger back at Manticore had been chosen to give them quick tour of Terminal City. So far, they had been through the cafeteria, the main headquarters (where the computers were located), a few bedrooms, and the arsenal._  
_

"Where'd you get these?" Alec asked, looking at the table covered with guns. He picked one of them up and grimaced. "This looks like its been around for a while." He cocked it and shrugged. "Guess it still works."

"We stole them. They're a little old but they keep the ordinaries off our backs." Luke said. "Of course, most of them stay away from Terminal City, 'cause the biotoxins make them sick after a while."

"Well that's just perfect, isn't it?" Max said. "I mean, we're immune and they're not. That'll keep 'em away."

Luke nodded. He showed them around a couple more places before coming to a stop next to a rusty old sign that said 'Oak Street'. "This is the end of the line for me guys. This is the X5's territory." He turned and left the two behind.

Max was disgusted at the thought of her fellow X5s going practically racial. Alec saw her expression change and shrugged. "You can't blame them you know. Manticore made them hate the nomalies – made us fear them. The basement used to be every X's nightmare. To be punished and thrown down there – with the freaks. They've got a reason to stay with their own kind." He smiled softly. "Makes them feel safe, I guess."

Max sighed. "I guess your right. But look at them! Look at Luke, Dix, and Joshua. And hell, even Mole." She said, frustrated. "Do they look like monsters to you? Okay – don't answer that question. There's no need to judge a book by its cover. They're just as human as we are."

"Human?" Alec cocked an eyebrow.

Max rolled her eyes. "I meant human, as in human feelings and personalities."

"So, I guess we're here to change all of what's been going on here lately?" Alec asked. He looked at Max. "Because from the looks of it, they badly need a leader."

Max's eyes widened. She understood what Alec was trying to tell her. She understood it all too clearly. And she did not like it at all. "No way Alec. No way in hell."

"Oh come on Max, you'd be perfect for the job." Alec said encouragingly. "And besides, a lot of these nomalies would respect you after they hear about your wonderful friendship with the dog-man."

"And the Xs?"

"They'd respect you too."

"Right because I blew their home to pieces."

"Manticore isn't exactly what you'd call a 'home' Maxie. And besides, it wasn't _you _who blew their home to pieces. It was Renfro remember? The platinum-blonde-haired bitch? Remember her? _You _were practically the one who set them free, saved them from getting barbecued. Roasted. Fried. Inci -- "

"Okay, okay. I get what you mean. But it's not like they _know _that."

"They will. After I tell them."

"Don't you dare, Alec."

"Fine. I won't. I know how powerful you can er, kick. But you know what Max, I really can't think of anyone else who would be perfectly capable of leading this city."

"Well, there's always you."

"Yes, why not? The great 494." A familiar voice interrupted.

Alec spun around to see his partner-in-crime. "510! Great to see you again man!" They firmly shook hands.

"Yeah well, I go by 'Biggs' now." 510 said with a smile. "Awesome to be in the outside world, huh?"

Alec nodded. "Freedom has never tasted this good. So Biggs – suits you, by the way. For that big head of yours."

Biggs laughed good-humouredly. "And you go by what exactly? Mr. Ego?"

Max snorted. "He goes by Alec. As in smart-aleck."

Biggs burst out laughing. "That's just perfect." He looked at Max. "So you're 452 right?"

"Right." She smiled and shook his hand.

"So, what brings you to the infamous Terminal City?" Biggs asked, making an exaggerated sweep of his arms.

"The food mostly. I heard they served awesome toxic sandwiches."

"Ah, the sarcasm. Haven't forgotten about that." Biggs grinned. "So, what was I hearing about leading this city?" He glanced curiously from Max to Alec. The couple exchanged a glance, and both said at the same time.

"Her."

"Him."

Biggs' grin widened. "The two of you huh? Well now. Terminal City will never know what hit them."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Max and Alec both demanded.

"Well for one thing, you," he pointed at Max. "Are known for your mouth. And I'm guessing that M.A.X. stands for Mouth at Xtreme?"

Max shot him a death glare while Alec struggled to control his laughter.

Biggs raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm just kidding about the M.A.X. thing. But I'm certainly not kidding about that fiery personality of yours. I swear, you probably mouthed off to every single Trainer in the whole of Manticore."

Alec beamed and slung an arm around her shoulder. "That's my girl. You'd know better than to put her down or you'd be listening to a whole dictionary of swear words."

Max was positively steaming by now. But instead of saying anything rude, she smiled sweetly at Biggs. "And what about Alec? What is _he _famous for?" It was kinda interesting actually. She never knew what any of the other transgenics thought of her back at Manticore. All she had was Alec.

Biggs guffawed. "494? The cocky smart-ass who hit on every single blonde X5 in Manticore? We used to place bets if he was going to hit on Renfro next."

Alec and Max simultaneously gagged.

"Biggs, please. Are you trying to _kill me?" _Alec asked turning an ugly shade of green. Max grimaced and pushed him away.

"Frankly, I'm quite surprised that you got hooked on a brunette. Especially _this _brunette."

Max blushed.

"What can I say? She's a unique creature like no other."

Max rolled her eyes and swatted him playfully on the shoulder. "Alright boys. That's enough fooling around. Biggs, would you mind showing us around Oak Street?"

"Sure thing."

…

_To be continued._

…

A/N: Please review.


	17. Chapter Ten

A/N: Can you believe I forgot to post chapter ten! Argh! Here it is! Just to add a little info on the story….this is what happened between chapters nine and eleven...hope it won't confuse you guys.

_Chapter Ten_

Patrolling the graveyards of the city of Seattle was not as exciting as patrolling the cemeteries of Sunnydale, California. While they fought dozens back at their old hometown, they barely staked four a night in the rainy city.

Which was probably why it was unusual for the two Slayers to hear a blood-curling scream that was unmistakably Dawn's echo from the other side of the memorial park. Faith and Buffy glanced at each other, both wearing similar bewildered expressions, before setting off at a run towards the direction of the scream.

"What did Dawn get herself into now?" Buffy muttered crossly under her breath.

"Beats me, B." Faith said as she sprinted along side Buffy. "Besides, Spike's supposed to be with her."

Several seconds later, they skidded to a stop in front of an unpleasant scene. A man wearing a dark blue suit was beating the shit out of Spike while two other men held him by his arms. Dawn, who was still yelling at the top of her lungs, was being dragged towards a black SUV. The only man dressed in a black business suit was standing amidst all the chaos, a smug smirk plastered on his face.

The two Slayers saw red.

And all hell broke loose.

…

"So how long have you been staying in Seattle?" Logan asked Sam conversationally. The four of them had taken a break in the kitchen, treating themselves to some of Logan's left-over pasta. The cyber-journalist could not help but marvel at how identical the twins were. They were exact mirror-images of each other. And to think that they weren't born from the same mother. _The wonders of genetic science. _Logan thought, immensely impressed.

"A couple of months," Sam replied with a shrug. "I just came from San Francisco. I kept on jumping from one place to another, you know. Didn't like to stay at one place too long."

"Alone?" Logan asked curiously. "What about your siblings."

Sam shrugged again. "I stayed with a few of them for a while. Then we decided that it was best if we split up. We figured that if Manticore -- " she stopped short of her sentence, her gaze fixed on something behind him.

Alec's face broke into a grin. "Hey Buffy, Faith, Spike." But as quick as the grin came, it immediately disappeared. "What the hell happened to you? You guys look like shit."

"Gee, thanks so much for the compliment." Buffy said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But we already know that." Indeed they were looking a bit worse for wear. Spike, being the worst. His face was a mass of bruises, and he was limping slightly. The women, looked a _tad _better. Faith sporting a cut lip and a nasty-looking gash above her left eye, and Buffy was cradling her arm, which was apparently broken.

Oh, and they were covered with grass stains, as well.

"Hey, you're that girl I ran into the other day." Sam said to Faith with a small grin. "Small world."

Faith didn't smile. "Dawn got kidnapped."

"_What?_" Logan blurted out.

"Who?" Alec said at the same time.

"My younger sister," Buffy said. She looked tired. Obviously, they had run into some major trouble quite a few minutes ago. And they were obviously here to ask for some help. "We were out patrolling when these guys attacked Spike and dragged Dawn off."

"Didn't you help?" Alec asked incredulously.

"Obviously, moron!" Max said smacking him in they head. "Why the hell would they look like _that _if they didn't help?"

"Bitch," Alec snapped at her, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Asshole," Max answered back, her expression similar to his.

"Enough!" Logan cut in. He turned to look at their guests. "Who attacked you?"

Buffy sighed and sank into an empty chair beside Max. "_Really _strong guys wearing spiffy designer suits."

"And when we say strong, we're talking about them barely feeling pain." Faith elaborated. "We were giving them all we've got and they barely walked off without a scratch. Well, we managed to kill one of them…but in they end they won and tied us to a tree. That took us a pretty long time to get out of."

"They tied two Slayers and a vampire up?" Alec shook his head in disbelief. "Unbelievable."

Buffy's mind instantly flashed back to the end of the fight.

_Flashback_

"_Where the hell are you taking her?" Buffy yelled as she struggled with the binds. The black-clad man – evidently the leader of the group, casually sauntered over to her, an ugly smile marring his sharp, yet handsome features._

"_Don't worry _Slayer,_ we'll take good care of her." He sneered, strongly emphasizing the word 'Slayer'. Buffy wondered how they knew about her. Perhaps he was a demon? But her senses didn't tell her so…which only confused her all the more._

"_Who are you?" she asked. "And what are you going to do with Dawn?"_

"_That will be for me to know, and for you to find out." The man said, his smile broadening to a cold grin. "And let's just say that your sister will be enjoying a much better life after everything will be done."_

"_If you lay one finger on my sister…" Buffy trailed off, her eyes glittering dangerously. "I will hunt you down and kill you."_

_He laughed mirthlessly. "You know what they say, Slayer. Try, try, try, until you die."_

_And with that he spun on his heel and left._

_And the three of them could only watch helplessly as the SUV disappeared from their sight._

_End Flashback_

"But why does he want Dawn?" Max asked with a frown.

"Now _that's _the million dollar question," Alec said.

"No," Buffy shook her head. "The million-dollar question is _what _they're going to do to her." She turned to the four seated on the table. All were wearing the same curious expressions. "We know _why_ they want Dawn."

"Why?" Almost all of them asked at once, save for Max's twin who seemed slightly out of place in the conversation, considering she did not know any of them.

Spike, who had not said a word since their arrival, answered for them all. "Because she's the Key." At the blank faces he was met with, he further explained. "The Key is an epical powerful energy source created by some unknown monks in some bloody unknown place. It was transformed into flesh and blood – transformed into Dawn. So, Dawn is basically a key to open portals that lead to other dimensions."

"So all they have to do is perform some rituals and use a few drops of Dawn's blood and they will be able to open the portal that they want to open." Buffy elaborated. "And if that certain portal leads to a certain evil dimension then hell will be unleashed on Earth. Is that clear?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Crystal clear, B."

"I wasn't talking to you." Buffy glared at her sister Slayer.

"We'll help," Max volunteered. She nudged Alec with her shoulder.

"Oh, me too."

"I'm in." Sam said with a small smile. "I'm Sam, by the way."

"Thank you," Buffy said sincerely, then rounded on Logan. "Now can you _please _help us look for this new bad guy in my life? Willow, Giles and Xander will be here in a few minutes with the weapons and stuff."

"Of course," Logan nodded and made for the computer room. Buffy and Spike instantly following. Faith stayed behind, eyeing the left-over pasta hungrily.

Alec cocked an eyebrow. "Help yourself."

Faith didn't need to be told twice. The three X5s watched in interest as the once full plate started to shrink, smaller, and smaller. Feeling their gaze on her, she shrugged. "Slaying can make a girl hungry." She smirked impishly at Alec. "Not to mention, horny."

Alec leered at her. "Oh really?"

Max smacked him in the head. He smirked at her. "Jealous Maxie?"

"In your dreams, Alec." She rolled her eyes.

"What do you know about my dreams?" he grinned mischievously at her.

That earned him another smack in the head. "I don't even _want _to know."

Faith and Sam watched this interaction interestedly. The brunette Slayer leaned over to Sam and muttered under her breath in a voice that went by unnoticed by the two bickering X5s. "Talk about unresolved sexual tension."

Sam nodded solemnly.

…

_In a covert territory somewhere in Seattle…_

Ames White observed the young girl thoughtfully. She was seated quietly on the cold, metal floor of the examination room on the other side of the glass wall that separated them. She was unaware of his scrutiny, because all she could see when she looked at the glass wall was her reflection.

Right now, she was staring at the tightly-shut steel door on the far side of the room, as if willing her sister and her friends to burst in and rescue her. White smirked. _You'll be dead before they find you. _He thought cynically. The Conclave had been very keen in keeping everything under wraps. And the security in the compound had been doubled. Certain precautions had been made to make sure that nothing interrupted the impending ceremony.

Again his thoughts drifted to the girl – the one her sister called Dawn. It was ironic how a tiny girl like her had the power to unlock hundreds of gateways that could open to dangerous dimensions. He could only wonder why the Conclave wanted to open such dimensions.

He didn't care much for the human race, but there was an extreme possibility that the Cult's lives would be risked.

Unless the Conclave planned on bargaining with demons.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Yes I know it's not everyday that you see a writer forget to post a chapter (Yup, I'm talking to you Doza) LOL. ) But hey, even the best fall down sometimes right? Haha. Anyways, thanks for the reviews guys! Especially those who reviewed Chapter Ten.

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Seventeen_

Terminal City was labyrinth of abandoned labs and dusty storage rooms. Now, of course, with actual beings residing within it, most of these rooms had been transformed into sleeping quarters for the transgenics. But not all of them had been transformed – not yet. There were still a few of them that was yet to be discovered.

And one of them was found by none other than Terminal City's newest resident – CJ. After having met Joshua, he had tagged along with him to Transgenic Central, curious and fascinated by them. They were once mere dreams. And now here they were, alive and breathing. His father's dreams had turned into reality.

Joshua had wanted him to meet everyone, but he had declined, knowing that if they found out that he wasn't one of them – he was sure to be dead. He told Joshua that he would rather keep to himself, and that he would rather that no one knew about him being here. Joshua being the kind, generous person that he was, had reluctantly agreed.

CJ had then disappeared into the enormous toxic waste-dump. Being a Familiar, he wasn't affected by any of the hazardous toxins that the biochemical accident had left behind.

Carefully dodging transgenics, he had kept to the shadows, and had discovered this nice little room to stay in. Okay, so it was far from being a room. It was, once upon a time, a laboratory. Filled with shattered beakers and cylinders, vacant shelves and drawers, broken toasters and ovens, and rusty metal stools.

It was located deep in the heart of TC, and he knew that no one would find him here. Even if Joshua told everyone about his new friend, they wouldn't think that he was still here – hiding from them. They'd simply think that he'd declined Joshua's offer to stay and had went and found a better place to reside in.

CJ settled himself into one of the chairs. It creaked under his weight. Resting his elbows on the tiled counters, his thoughts came to plague his head. He thought about his father, whether he was still alive or long since dead. He thought about the Breeding Cult and how they would react to his sudden disappearance. And he thought about his brother. His dear old brother. And he silently pleaded to whoever was up there in the heavens, whoever was watching him…

_Please, don't let him find me._

…

Oak Street was made up of nothing more than a couple of rundown five-story buildings and a few smaller buildings that had once been labs. A normal human would've been more than shocked if they happened to walk into a place like this. A decrepit neighborhood filled with beautiful people.

Beautiful people that could kill you in a blink of an eye.

"So, you guys planning to stay here?" Biggs asked. "Because I could hook you up with a room."

"Doubtful." Max replied.

Biggs looked surprised. "What do you mean 'doubtful'?"

"This place is swarming with X5s."

"Well, you're an X5. You wouldn't want to go live with nomalies now do you?"

"That's exactly my point!" Max exploded causing several passing X5s to stop in their tracks. She glared menacingly at them and they hurried away hastily, not wanting to be the focal point of 452's anger.

Biggs stared at her, stunned.

"She has this thing for equality…" Alec tried to explain.

"Shut up," Max snapped. "Listen to me. Sooner or later, word is going to break out that transgenics are on the loose, and it won't be long until every single ordinary would be out of their houses, looking for us, hunting us down, and killing us all until not one of us are left in their perfect world. Do you really think that this little group of X5s will win? We may be genetically-enhanced super-soldiers but in an all-out war against the real world, _we _are the ones who are going down. There are _millions _of them out there." The flame in her eyes flickered, and sadness came to put them out. "They may be nomalies – freaks, but when you come to think of it. We're all freaks."

Biggs faltered.

Alec clapped him on the back. "What'd I tell you? A unique creature like no other."

…

Early afternoon began to set in, and most of the Scooby Gang went off to their respective bedrooms to catch up on some much-needed sleeping time. The afternoon was, after all, their version of the night. Because at night, they would be all up from their beds and out on the streets, doing what they did best: hunt down vampires.

Seattle wasn't anything like Sunnydale. Far from it. For one thing, it rained almost everyday, and this was way different from the hot, sunny days in Sunnydale – where the Californian sun always shone its brightest. And for the bigger reason, there wasn't much going on in Seattle.

Oh sure, they ran into the occasional vampire nests here and there. But there just didn't seem to be any challenge. Unlike back in Sunnydale where they had to work double time to keep the vamps in check – and to keep anyone else from getting bitten.

Their transfer to Seattle was pretty much a nice time for the gang, especially the two Slayers. It was like getting a sort of vacation from all the pressure that they had been put under while back at their hometown. Of course, while they enjoyed the supreme lack of vampire-activity in Seattle, there were always times when they would crave for more action. The challenge simply didn't seem to be there anymore.

So I guess you could say that they were more intrigued than annoyed when Giles woke them up from their afternoon naps to show them what he had discovered about Max's runes, with the exception of Spike and Buffy who were in the middle of something erm, _private. _Giles swore to himself to have a couple of drinks that night. Heaven knows he needed it, after seeing _that._

"When the shroud of death covers the face of the earth, the one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless." Buffy read aloud from the scrap of paper.

They were gathered in Giles' office, and it was eerily silent as they listened to the words that escaped the Slayer's lips.

"Great, just what we needed. Another apocalypse." Dawn said with a yawn.

"Kinda reminds me of Angel Investigations," Xander mused. "_'Good morning! You have reached Angel Investigations, we help the helpless'_"

Faith burst out laughing.

Giles hadn't been so sure at first if it was wise sharing this piece of information with Buffy and the rest, especially since they 'belonged' to Max. There was not a doubt in the world that she could take his life in a matter of seconds, and possibly even the Slayers. Well, the latter would probably take a couple of hours – but then, Max was genetically-enhanced, practically superwoman. Bollocks, he was starting to sound like Xander.

"Does Max know about this yet?" The blonde Slayer asked.

Giles shook his head. "I'm about to call her."

"Why'd you tell us this anyway?" Faith asked him. "It's not like this is our battle. And who knows where we would end up if we get ourselves into this upcoming shit."

"I have to agree with the bitch," Spike said ignoring Faith's scowl. "Meddling in other people's lives – especially the transgenics' lives. We're bound to end up dead for sure."

"But if the whole world is at stake…" Willow trailed off.

Buffy nodded. "If the whole world is at stake. It will _be _our business. And besides, we owe Max and her friends for helping rescue Dawn. We couldn't have done it without them. You guys know that."

Giles sighed. "That is if she _wants _our help."

"The G-man's right." Faith said in agreement. "After all, we barely know her. It's been what? Three days?"

"Feels like a month," Willow said tiredly.

Giles picked up the phone and quickly dialed Max's number. "I suppose we'll have to find out."

…

"Hello? Oh hey Giles."

Alec immediately stopped mid-sentence from his conversation with Biggs as his attention became focused on Max. Biggs turned to gaze curiously at the brunette who began to walk further away from them, apparently wanting some privacy with the phone call, which was obviously an important one.

"Hey man, thanks for showing us around." Alec said clapping Biggs' on the shoulder and tearing his attention away from Max. "We'll try to drop by later tonight, or maybe tomorrow."

Biggs shrugged. "No problem. But TC would be eternally grateful if one of you would decide to take charge of this city. Manticore knows you two are the best."

Alec raised his eyebrows at the unexpected praise. "Thanks."

By this time, Max had reappeared to join them. "Hey, we gotta jet." She smiled at Biggs. "Nice meeting you."

"Pleasure's mine." Biggs smiled back.

The two X5s then made their way out of TC, leaving Biggs to stare after their retreating figures. There was something going on – that he was sure of, but what exactly? He had yet to find out.

…

"Dawn! Get the door will you?"

The two transgenics winced at the rather loud scream that sounded from the other side of the door. One of the down-sides of having enhanced hearing. The door opened three seconds later to reveal an annoyed-looking Dawn – apparently, she disliked being ordered around, especially by her older sister.

However, at seeing who it was at the door, her face split into a grin. "Hey guys! Come in!"

They barely made it through the door when they were ushered instantly into Giles' office by the Watcher himself. It was evident that whatever he had unraveled was important – too important to be delayed by any other member of the Scooby Gang with their famed ways of incessant and unnecessary ramblings of things that were utterly useless.

Giles shut the door behind his back with a soft click and motioned for the two to take their seats on either chair in front of his desk. They did as told, both wearing expressions of blatant curiosity.

"You translated it?" Max asked, her eyes betraying her worry and nervousness.

Giles nodded mutely and handed them the piece of paper where the translation as written in his neat, sinuous penmanship. His handwriting was like that of the olden times – elegant and refined. But that was the last thing on Max's mind as she silently read the written words in less than a second.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alec asked, confusion clouding his handsome features.

"No idea," Max said, biting her lip. Both of them simultaneously turned to look at Giles.

Giles took off his glasses and proceeded to clean them using the hem of his sweater. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand it myself. But suspect it has something to do with an upcoming war…_When the shroud of death covers the face of the earth…_"

The transgenics exchanged alarmed glances.

"_The one whose power is hidden will deliver the helpless…_" Giles continued. "It speaks of a hero."

"Max." Alec whispered, his hazel-green eyes widening.

Max squeezed her eyes shut. "No. It can't be – how can I be?" Renfro's words echoed in her head. _'You're the one we've been looking for, 452…'_

"I don't know if you are aware of this fact, but Max, it seems that you contain no junk DNA." Giles informed them. Judging from their looks of astonishment, it was obvious that they were indeed, unaware of this little piece of information.

"How do you know that?" Alec asked, his eyes narrowing, suspicion laced his voice.

"I suppose you recall the night that you erm, 'hitched' a ride from Buffy and Faith."

Alec smirked.

"We were – curious. So we asked for some information from Logan. And he provided us with some rather interesting information."

"How much did he tell you?"

"Not much. Mostly about how you are genetically-enhanced super soldiers. How you were trained to become killers. And then he began telling us how interested he was on finding you – Max. How you possessed no junk DNA…"

"That means every single DNA was built to have some specific genetic purpose." Alec said in understanding. "Sandeman must really be trying to tell us something here."

"Sandeman?" Giles questioned curiously. "Who's he?"

"No one." Max said hurriedly. "So you said that Logan was actually _interested _in finding _me?_" She asked bewildered. "How come he never tried talking to me? I mean, question me, or whatever."

"I don't know," Giles said.

"I guess we'll just have to find out for ourselves," Alec said rubbing his hands together. He clapped his hand on Giles' shoulder before walking out of his office, throwing a brief "Thanks for your help!" behind his back.

Max smiled weakly. "Yeah, you've been a great help." She slipped the piece of paper in her jeans pocket.

"Wait, before you go." Giles started nervously. "We just want you to know. I mean, this prophecy evidently speaks about some kind of upcoming war…and we just want you to know, that if you ever need any help…"

Max sighed. "As much as we would love your help, I don't think you'd want to get engaged in this kind of war. You'd just end up getting yourselves killed."

"Figured as much." Giles muttered to himself watching the door slam shut.

…

_To be continued…_

…

A/N: Be a dear and review, will ya?


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. )

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Eighteen_

CJ wandered around the dilapidated laboratory, entertaining himself with the slightly broken microscopes and other thingamajigs he could find. Of course, it wasn't long until he got bored. Night had fallen hours ago, and he was left with nothing but a dim flickering light bulb as his source of light.

His stomach had been complaining for several minutes now, and he knew he had to get out of this place.

As quiet as a mouse, he crept out of the lab and out into the alleyway. It was empty. There was not a transgenic in sight. Although he could see a number of bonfires blazing in the distance. With the figures of some nomalies grouped around it holding their hands out towards the fire.

Without further ado, he slunk across the city, and through the hole in the fence. And at last! Fresh air. If you could call the air in Seattle fresh. More like, polluted. CJ breathed in deeply before wondering what to do next. If he had cash, he would have headed into the nearest, and cheapest diner.

Unfortunately, he had none. But that didn't mean that he went without a few skills. Let's just say that being part of an evil family taught him a few tricks. Or maybe, living in a mental institution had taught him a few tricks. He could barely count the number of times in which he picked the lock of his cell door. Of course, he always never made it out. The guards always caught him.

But so what? He still had his hands, and his rather nimble fingers.

Like a thief in the night, CJ went into a nearby gasoline station, spying a few customers inside the mini-grocery store. Humming a cheerful tune, he went in unsuspected, and passed by a couple of the customers. By the time he exited the store, his pockets were not empty.

He smiled proudly at himself as he ducked into the nearest empty alleyway. Making sure that no one was in sight, he pulled out two wallets from his pockets. One had a hundred dollars in it, while the other merely had forty bucks. But it was more than he could've asked for. With a grin, he slipped into the nearest and cheapest diner that he could find.

…

"No junk DNA, huh?"

Logan jumped. He had been startled. By a transgenic. Again. He frowned and spun his swiveling computer chair around to face his all-too familiar intruders. "Didn't they teach you how to knock?"

"Apparently, they left that out of the guide book." Alec shrugged. He was leaning casually against the doorframe, a cocky smirk plastered across his face. Max was standing beside him, her expression entirely different. She looked curious. Really curious.

"Let me guess, Buffy told you all about it." He presumed.

"No. Giles did." Max said. "How come you never told me about this?"

Logan glared at them. "It wasn't like you dropped by that night when you said you would. I was going to tell you then. But you forgot, remember? And it all just slipped my mind with all that Dawn-confusion."

"Guess we can't blame him. It doesn't look like he has much of a memory." Alec said.

Logan chose to ignore him, but instead turned to look at Max. "I'm sure that you don't know much about the origins of Manticore." Alec and Max fell silent and stared at him with inquisitive eyes. "And neither do I."

Alec sighed exasperatedly, running a hand through his hair.

"But you could help me. We could work together. We could find out about Sandeman's reasons. Reasons on why he created you – why he created the transgenics."

"To defend and protect the country." Max stated in a monotonous voice.

Logan shook his head. "You really believe that?"

Alec frowned. "What do you know Logan?"

…

"It's been a while since we've done this."

Buffy turned to look at her companion. Night had long since fallen, and she had commenced her daily patrol. Faith had taken the night off and was probably at some club dancing and drinking with some guy. But Buffy could care less. Because you see, a certain someone had volunteered to come with her.

"Yeah. Feels like centuries ago." She murmured, more to herself than to him. They were walking through the half-empty streets of Seattle, keeping a watchful eye out for vampires and anything else out of the ordinary.

He took a long drag from his cigarette. "It's a little quiet out here, ain't it?"

"Spike! Don't _say _that!" she hissed. "You never, ever wish on a Hellmouth!"

Spike cocked an eyebrow. "We're not on a Hellmouth, luv."

"Well, you should still be careful. You'll never know what can happen --- "

CRASH!

The couple exchanged a glance. Buffy a bit more accusing. Spike just shrugged. "Probably just a dog or something. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

"Can you _not _use that term? It's really annoying." Buffy said, rushing over to the alley that they had heard the sound. They arrived just in time. A vampire had cornered a young man to the wall, and was just getting ready to feast on him.

"Are we interrupting something?" Buffy asked sweetly.

The vampire growled and dropped his victim to the ground. Spike casually leaned against the wall and lit another cigarette. He'll let the Slayer handle this one. Besides, he loved watching his girl fight.

In less than two minutes, the vampire had turned to dust.

"You're a Slayer!"

The would-have-been victim of the vampire had stood up from the ground and was slowly backing away from Buffy and Spike. He was pointing a trembling finger at Buffy. All the blood had drained from his face. His eyes were wide with disbelief and something akin to grief. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

But before Buffy could say anything, he turned and ran.

"Wait -- !"

"He's gone." Spike muttered, stunned. "Who the bloody hell was that bloke?"

"When in doubt. Go to Giles." Buffy said with a shake of her head. "I told you not to be _careless!_" she glared at Spike.

Spike glared back at her. "You really believe in those things? It was just a bloody coincidence!"

"I'm a _Slayer _Spike! Evil, dirty little things follow me everywhere!" she spun on her heel and headed off towards the direction of their apartment.

Spike followed suit. "I suppose I'm one of those evil, dirty, little things that follow you everywhere."

"Emphasis on the dirty part." Buffy threw over her shoulder, a small smirk on her face.

…

Rarely do you see Special Agent Ames White in a spectacular mood. It had been a pleasant day for him. Three successful kills. Wonderful. Just wonderful. He had yet to raise Otto's salary once again. That thermal imager was an ingenious answer to their problems.

Unfortunately for him, his good mood didn't last until nighttime.

"What do you mean he's _gone?_" White growled, pacing his office angrily. The guard cowered and backed several feet away from him.

"The surveillance cameras had been scammed, sir, by those intruders." The guard tried to explain. "We didn't see him escape. He climbed out of his window."

"Idiot." White muttered under his breath. "What the fuck was he thinking?"

"We already initiated a search. He couldn't have gone very far."

"It's been more than twenty-four hours. Tell me how that is a good thing?"

The guard gulped.

White banged his fist against the wall.

"Find him. Do whatever it takes. But leave him alive."

The guard nodded and hurried out of the office.

His brother might not be fit to be a Familiar, but he certainly was not stupid.

…

"I did some research on those Priestesses. It took me a while since all I had as basis were mere descriptions. But I was able to find something a few hours ago…"

They were presently sitting inside Logan's computer room, since the two transgenics made no move to leave without finding out what he knew about Manticore's origins.

"What do they have to do with Manticore?" Max asked curiously.

"More than you think." Logan sighed and rubbed his aching temples. Sometimes, too much research can give you a migraine. Add in the fact that he barely had much sleep since last night. "You see they're part of a very exclusive Cult that has been around for more than ten thousand years."

"A Cult?" Alec echoed. "That's just – strange."

"And you call bald-headed, snake-loving women normal?" Max asked incredulously.

"Good point."

"They're goal is to breed the ultimate race." Logan said in a low tone. "Thousands of years of selective breeding, and only those who pass the initiation become part of this race. Those who don't – die."

"This is all very interesting Logan, but I still don't see the connection with Manticore."

"Sandeman. Sandeman was part of the Cult."

"But that doesn't make sense." Max said with a frown. "If they're so keen on selective breeding. Then why the hell did Sandeman make us? Isn't that like, against the rules?"

"Insubordination?" Alec asked. "Is that it? Sandeman rebelled against the Cult to make us? Why?"

"That's what were here to find out." Logan said swiveling around to face his computer. He began keying in a number of passwords. "He has to have a base around here in Seattle."

"What makes you think that? For all we know, he could be wandering around in Timbuktu."

"For all we know, he could be living right next to us."

…

CJ ran blindly through the streets of Seattle, his instinct taking him where he knew he would be safe. He couldn't go back to Terminal City, by now, the sentries would be out keeping guard. And there was no way he could sneak in like this. He could barely think straight. Vertigo had come and embraced him.

And then he saw it. It was partially hidden behind overgrown bushes and layers and layers of weeds. It was evident that no one had lived in it for years. It had been abandoned. By him and his father.

As expected, the door was locked. CJ reached over and pulled one of the bricks from the wall. Concealed within was a key. He was surprised that no one had discovered it. It hadbeen around for more than a decade already. But hey, he wasn't complaining. Quickly, he opened the door and locked it behind him.

He was greeted by that dank and dusty smell that all old houses seemed to have. And there was the minor fact that it was pitch-black. He made his way through the house through mere memory – he felt like he was walking in a dream…or perhaps, a nightmare.

Finally reaching the kitchen, he pulled open one of the cupboards and found a pack of candles and a box of matches. He immediately lit several of the candles and placed them around the house.

He could feel warm tears streaming down his face as he wandered around the house – their house.

-- Flashback --

"_Your mother was special." His father whispered to him silently. His dark eyes glittered with unhappiness and regret. It was early morning. The sun had not even risen yet. But the they were unable to fall asleep – not after what happened several hours ago…_

…

He found himself sitting inside what used to be his bedroom. It was where he had hidden…helplessly listening to the horrific sounds that belonged to a scene that he was not able to witness…

He could remember screaming…

The sound of flesh hitting flesh…

And lastly, the smell of blood…

They had killed her.

…

_And he remembered his father's wife storming into the house and slapping him, eyes burning with rage. Behind her followed her son. His half-brother. Ice-cold eyes glared at him._

"_How dare you lie to me?" She screamed. "How dare you sleep with an abomination!" _

_His father made no move retaliate. _

_She continued on. "You are fortunate that you are still alive. And that weakling you call a son."_

…

A weakling. He was defined as a weak and unsightly coward. He wasn't special like his mother. He wasn't a genius like his dad. He was just…CJ. A nobody. A weakling.

The main reason why he was imprisoned within a hospital made for the mad.

…

"_Why did she die father?"_

_The answer had been simple._

"_She was not one of us."_

…

And CJ wept.

…

_To be continued…_

…

A/N: So _what _exactly was CJ's mother? Hmm…answers in the next chapter! For the meantime, REVIEW!


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

_**Fire and Blood**_

_By: human28_

_Chapter Nineteen_

The funeral of the three High Priestesses was decidedly grave. It came to pass early morning, just before dawn. White, who preferred to make his presence unnoticed, stood at the back of the room, watching the somber ceremony take place. Everyone was dressed in crisp black suits.

White never showed total respect for the Priestesses and their irrational plans for world domination. The opening of hell dimensions was their most imbecilic plan ever formulated. Oh sure, they consulted the resident Seers about the safety of the Familiars, but did you really think that he – Special Agent Ames White would trust his life on mere astrology?

He was not stupid. He believed in science and logic rather than stars and crystal balls. This was the reason why they were all still standing here, alive and breathing.

The Heads of the Conclave had gathered for a meeting last night and a decision had been reached. White smirked. He will watch the humans drop dead one by one and he will smile down on their corpses. But the human race wasn't the only thing that needed eradicating.

His eyes flashed. He had never been more ashamed to be the son of the one person who created the race that had become their enemy. What his father had done was blasphemy. An insult to their Family.

And it was his job to clean up the mess that his father had made.

The funeral came to an end, and everyone began to leave. His eyes searched the sea of black for a certain, well-respected Senator. He grinned predatorily as he saw him.

It was time to put his plan into action.

…

"Normal's gonna fire us, for sure." Alec said. They were making their way towards the downtown of Seattle inside Logan's beloved car. They had agreed to look for Sandeman's old place the night before. Logan was not sure of the exact address, but based on his research and a few of his sources, it was located in downtown Seattle.

The two transgenics had trouble believing that Sandeman actually built a house in a place so close to the Cult's headquarters. But as Logan explained, this happened _before _the Cult actually found out about his ingenious creations.

Max rolled her eyes. "Well, he might fire _me _but he sure as hell won't fire _you_. Honestly, that guy is seriously in love with you."

Alec turned green. "That's just sick, Max."

She couldn't help but grin.

Logan brought the car to a sudden stop, causing the two X5s to simultaneously swear. "I think this is it." He said, his eyes locked on a decaying house half-hidden behind overgrown shrubbery.

"Are you sure?"

"No." Logan admitted. "But we've gone through a lot of houses already, and none of them looked like they belonged to Sandeman. This is the last one. And presumably, _it._"

"Finally!" Alec said in relief. "I never thought I would be so happy to see this – this extremely ugly house."

Max slapped his arm and dragged him towards the edifice with Logan right behind them. She quickly worked on the lock, and seconds later, it opened with a creak. They went in cautiously.

"Stop." Alec murmured in a low voice, his hands shooting out to grab either one of Max's and Logan's shoulders. The latter turned to look at him inquisitively. Max, on the other hand, immediately caught on.

"Someone's here."

…

"Do tell me how I am supposed to find out how that man knew that you were a Slayer." Giles said, annoyed. Buffy had been badgering him about this all morning. He was only a tiny bit grateful that she didn't wake him up in the middle of the night. He supposed that she noticed the bags under his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping well all that much lately…perhaps it was all the excitement that the transgenics had caused.

And that feeling he had been having that something big was about to happen. As a Watcher, he knew. And he knew that Buffy and Faith felt it too. Call it intuition.

Buffy sighed. "You're right. But it was weird Giles! I mean, really, really, freaky. He was looking at me like – like he half-wanted to kill me and half-wanted to hug me. It was the strangest thing."

"I've got an idea," Willow said plopping onto the empty seat next to Buffy. They were in the living room, discussing last night's happening. Dawn and Xander were in the kitchen, while Spike and Faith were in the training room.

"What is it?"

"He's either a demon – although that's highly unlikely because vampires would never _dare _attack a demon. Except maybe Spike. Or he knew a Slayer once upon a time."

"That's possible." Giles stated thoughtfully.

Willow shrugged and pulled out her laptop from it's case. "Let's try this." She began to type furiously on the keyboard. "That guy was about what age, Buffy?"

"I don't know. Around my age. Late twenties."

"Okay. It's 2020, right. Let's say, twenty-four years ago. That would be the year 1990. Minus a few more years…let's say 1987." Buffy and Giles leaned in to see what she was doing. Their eyes widened when Willow opened a window that revealed the number of deaths in the year 1987 . The death rated was incredibly high especially those underneath the '_Cause of Death Unknown' _category, but as the years passed, it began to decrease…and decrease…and decrease.

"There was a Slayer here." Buffy gasped.

Willow keyed in a number of things into the computer. Several more windows popped up. Giles recognized the sites. They were from the Watcher's Council. She had hacked into their documents. She clicked a number of files, before stopping on one of them.

"Here she is," she murmured, and began to read the document.

---

**Name of Slayer: _Angela Stevenson_**

**Location: _Seattle, Washington _**

**Date of Calling: _February 17, 1987_**

**Age of Death: _22 years old_**

**Cause of Death: _Unknown_**

**Note: _Watcher died on 1989 – cause of death is unknown; Slayer conceived child on 1990 – father is unknown; Slayer was murdered on 1993 – cause of death is unknown – location of death: Brookridge Street, Seattle, Washington; Edifice was empty; Murderer remains anonymous._**

---****

Buffy gasped. "Oh my god. That could only mean one thing…"

"That man you saw was the son of a Slayer." Giles concluded grimly.

…

It was faint, but they could smell it. Smoke from a burning candle. It was everywhere. Apparently, someone was presently living inside the dank, old house. Of course, they couldn't blame whoever it was that was there – the house had, after all, been abandoned. The three of them stood stock-still a few feet from the door, their eyes alert and attentive.

Footsteps sounded from what they presumed was the kitchen. It was headed straight towards them. The two transgenics immediately dropped into a fighting stance, while Logan took several steps backward, wishing that he had brought his gun with him. Whoever was living in the house could be dangerous.

The kitchen door opened and a man in his early twenties with scraggly hair and dark brown eyes emerged. He froze as he caught sight of them. Something akin to recognition crossed his features, but this went unnoticed to the three intruders.

"What do you want?" the man asked, surprisingly calm.

"Are you alone?" Alec asked, his gaze darting around the room. You could never be too careful.

"I am." He answered. "May I ask why you broke into my house?"

"Your house?" Logan echoed, exchanging a glance with Max. She shrugged. The two X5s had dropped their defensive postures, both deeming the man harmless. Although they stood stiffly on either side of Logan, unable to relax completely.

The man frowned. "Yes. My house. Do you have a problem with that? Who are you anyway?"

"We're um, real estate agents." Logan lied. "We thought the house was abandoned. So we decided to check it out."

To their bewilderment, the man smiled. It wasn't a normal smile. It was a crooked kind of smile that they couldn't quite read. Although they did see something flicker behind his eyes. This man knew something they didn't.

"Do you really think that I would fall for that?" He asked, with a small laugh. "I may not be a transgenic. But I'm not stupid."

That caught them completely off guard. "_What?_" Alec snapped.

"Well, the two of you," he gestured towards Max and Alec. "Are obviously transgenics. And you," he frowned at Logan. "You look familiar. I think I've seen you somewhere before…although I can't quite place it."

Logan shifted uncomfortably.

"How do you know that?" Max asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I don't know. I think I saw him once or twice, but I can't be too sure…"

"Not that," Max snapped. "I meant, how do you know about transgenics?"

His eyes twinkled almost amusedly. "That's simple."

"My father made you."

…

For some strange reason, Max found that she instantly believed him. And she could tell that Alec did too. Maybe it was the fact that most transgenics were incredibly perceptive, and could detect a lie, no matter how small. Or maybe it was how the back of their necks prickled when he said this.

"Care to join me in the living room?" He asked. "I'd be happy to answer any of your questions." He grimaced. "Those that I know of, of course."

They nodded mutely and followed him into the living room. They took their seats and fixed their gaze on Sandeman's son. Max could almost hear Joshua's voice in her head: _'Father…Sandeman…' _ Of course, Joshua wasn't Sandeman's _biological _son. He was simply Sandeman's first creation.

"I'm CJ by the way." He said with a smile. They introduced themselves reluctantly, still wary around the strange man. He may be Sandeman's son, but then, whoever said that Sandeman was a good person? He did, after all, create _them _– freaks of nature.

"Sandeman was a Familiar," Logan stated bluntly. "Then that must mean that you are one too."

A shadow clouded over CJ's face. "You're right. He was a Familiar. But _I'm _not one of them."

"And how is that possible?"

"Easy. I wasn't able to go through the Initiation."

"Initiation?" Alec echoed, confused.

CJ nodded. "That's where it all began. The Initiation was a test given to all younglings to see if they were worthy and strong enough to be a Familiar."

"What kind of test?" Max asked curiously.

"They inject you with snake blood." He explained with a shudder. "It was a very rare kind of species. It was tinged with poison. So it was pretty much deadly. It could kill an ordinary human in less than an hour." His eyes had gone slightly glassy, as if reliving a specific memory. "My father knew I wouldn't survive the Initiation. He tested my DNA – he was a scientist you see…"

"Apparently," Alec muttered under his breath.

"That was one of the reasons on why he left the Cult. He didn't want me to die. Especially after my mother was killed…" CJ trailed off, looking pained.

"Killed? Who killed her?" Max asked.

"They did. The Familiars did." He said with a hollow laugh. "You see, my mother wasn't one of us. She was different – special. And there was the other fact that dad's wife found out about her."

"You mean, your father was having an affair?" Logan asked, surprised.

CJ nodded. "With my biological mom."

Max was growing impatient. She didn't want to hear about his mother. She wanted to know more about Sandeman. And _why _he created them. "So he left the Breeding Cult because he knew wouldn't survive the test, and because they killed your mother."

"That's right. But one of the bigger reasons was because he wanted to change things with science and technology." CJ shook his head sadly. "That wasn't allowed, you see. The Cult thought of it as a heresy. It went against their beliefs of purity and such."

"So your dad got sick of the whole selective-breeding thing and started to get into the gene-splicing game?" Alec asked. His hazel-green eyes were unreadable. "Why?"

CJ shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know." He sighed. "Maybe he simply wanted to help the country. Or maybe it was because of revenge. They did kill my mom, after all. And from what I can remember, he really loved her."

"Makes sense." Logan said thoughtfully. "The Familiars wanted to breed the ultimate race. Sandeman went and created a race that could rival theirs."

Max's thoughts wandered over to the runes on her back – the prophecy. Giles' voice echoed in her head. '_…this prophecy evidently speaks about some kind of upcoming war…' _

"Are saying that we were made because of _revenge?_" Alec asked incredulously. He looked absolutely pissed.

Max shook her head. "I don't think that's it."

Three heads turned to look at her.

"I think Sandeman created us for a more important purpose."

"Like what?" CJ asked, curious.

Alec was staring at her. Everything began to click into place. "The runes…they were a message from him. Some sort of warning. Apparently, he knew that something like this was going to happen."

"Something like what?" Logan asked, impatiently. He despised not knowing.

"The Familiars…they're going to kill everyone – the ordinaries…" Max trailed off.

"And we were made to stop them." Alec concluded.

…

White smiled and shook the Senator's hand.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you Senator."

McKinley nodded. "That was an ingenious plan, Brother White. I will personally make the announcement tomorrow night." He smiled viciously and shut the door of his limousine.

White watched the vehicle disappear into the distance.

It won't be long now.

…

To be continued… 

…

A/N: Review please.


End file.
